


Love of a Doll (인형)

by RandomMeanie



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Basically like a fairytale, Character Death, Completed plot, Cross-Posted on AFF, Cursed, Eventual Smut, Extremely cringey smut im sorry, Fantasy, Happy Ending, Historical AU, I forgot if this has fluff, Inspired from Lovelyz song Doll, Just bonus/extra chapters now, M/M, Mingyu is a cursed doll, Peasant Wonwoo, Prince Mingyu, Romance, Wonwoo owns that doll, meanie, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-01 17:01:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 24,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13299255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomMeanie/pseuds/RandomMeanie
Summary: "Your first son's soul shall be locked in the depths of a peasant's doll. At 18, he shall transform into a boy under the moonlight and turn back into a doll at sunrise. Only the curse can be lifted at a heartfelt confession of a true love."In which Mingyu is trapped in a doll owned by a peasant named Wonwoo, and slowly falls in love with him from the sidelines.*Do you know? I can't speak a word.Do you know? I can't move my feet.You stay the way I first saw you.Even when I'm smiling towards you.I am a doll who can't talk.I'm peacefully waiting for you.A doll in the corner of the room.I'm quietly waiting for you.- Lovelyz, Doll(인형)





	1. Prologue

**Prologue.**

Hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway of the castle as the Queen rushed to her first son's room. News that a certain witch had invaded the castle alerted her, and the latter had an inkling for the reason of her visit.

Upon seeing the witch standing at the foot of her son's bed, she quickly ran towards the sleeping toddler, carrying him towards the corner of the room. The toddler jolted in his sleep at the sudden movement and started crying.

"What are you doing here?" The Queen questioned with authority that did not seemed to affect the smiling witch.

"Me? I'm just here to take away something precious from you for taking away something precious of mine!"

Raising both her hands, she chanted, "Your first son's soul shall be locked in the depths of a peasant's doll. At 18, he shall transform into a boy under the moonlight and turn back into a doll at sunrise. Only the curse can be lifted at a heartfelt confession of a true love."

A scratchy, high-pitched guffaw echoed in the eerie night, in the room of the firstborn crowned prince. 

"No!" The Queen screamed, clutching her crying toddler close to her bosom. "Please, I'll give you anything. I'll give you a thousand gold if that's what you want!" 

"What I want can't be settled with gold, your dear Highness," the gruff voice of the witch spoke with disrespect and sarcasm. 

The Queen cried in anguish, trying to protect her child physically in any way possible. No other help could arrive, for the witch had placed a spell upon the room. She looked down at the crying child, the sound shattering her heart into smithereens. 

Caressing his cheek with the back of a finger, she whispered with a strong promise in her words, "My Prince. My baby. My dear son, Kim Mingyu. I'll protect you whatever way I can. Even if you're taken away, I'll go to the ends of the earth to find you." She gently touched the silver necklace around his neck. "This will always keep you safe. I love you, Mingyu."

A tear fell onto the child's cheek as his mother placed a tender kiss on his head. As if sensing her distraught emotions, he cried even louder. 

The witch's howling laughter interrupted the mother-son interaction. 

"Exchanging last words, I see?" She mocked. 

The Queen glowered. "You shall be punished severely for everything you have caused! Mark my words, you demonic being!" 

The witch laughed once more. "I'm a demon, you say? Well, I guess that's not much difference than a witch, I suppose, since I'm going to make you and your son's life a living hell anyways."

With a snap of her fingers and a whisper of a mantra, dark, grey clouds appeared in the room, swirling around. 

And in a second, the firstborn Prince Kim Mingyu vanished into thin air, leaving behind mere ashes, and a heartbroken mother. 

*

In the small four walls of a young boy's bedroom, a faint cry could be heard. The young boy woke up and sat on his bed, searching for the source of the cries. 

Hopping down the rundown bed, his tiny feet brought him over to a doll by the window. 

"Minny? Why are you crying?" His small voice asked as he stood on his tiptoes to reach for the doll. 

Just as he took hold of the doll, the door to his room opened. 

"Wonwoo? Why aren't you in bed? It's late, sweetie," his mother spoke, walking over to her son. 

"I heard Minny crying, Mommy," Wonwoo replied, gesturing towards the doll in his hand. "But he stopped crying when I held him. I think he's lonely. Can Minny sleep with me, Mommy?"

His mother gave a warm smile, nodding. "Of course, sweetie. Now, go to bed." She gently picked him up and laid him down on the thin mattress. 

Wonwoo smiled up at his mother, hugging the doll tightly. "Goodnight, Mommy."

"Goodnight, my dear Wonwoo. Dream only sweet things." She placed a loving kiss on his forehead as she tucked him underneath his blankets. 

She gave Wonwoo one last look before closing the door. 

"Goodnight to you, too, Minny," the little boy whispered, kissing it's head. He thought he heard a pleasant laugh coming from it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As mentioned in the tag, this is cross-posted from AFF cuz I just wanted to broaden my readers (?) or something like that. Do feel free to give me feedback whatsoever! :D 
> 
> And I started writing this before hearing Lovelyz's song Doll actually, but after hearing it, it just gave me more motivation to continue writing. The lyrics and music gives off such a sad vibe and all, and it's perfect with the story I'm going for in this fic. Check it out if you want! :) 
> 
> Although I also mentioned that it's a historical au, you don't have to imagine it as Korean Historical. To me, I just imagined a typical fairytale setting, with castles and all. 
> 
> *Not beta read. Please don't copy/repost this story without permission! Thanks :3


	2. Chapter 2

"Wonwoo! Come help me carry these boxes over to Mr. Boo's shop."

"Yes, Mom!" Wonwoo replied, pushing the box he was using to clean his room, aside. 

He jogged over to his mother, who was already carrying a box. Hastily, he took it from her, frowning. 

"Mom, just stay here, I'll bring this over to the shop. You aren't well these days," he chided. 

His mother smiled. Although his mother was only in her 40s now, she looked like she had aged further. Years of working hard with no break had caused her to fall ill frequently. Furthermore, after the death of Wonwoo's father when the child was only five, she had gone all out to make ends meet. 

"Ahh, what a caring son I have," she cooed, patting her son's head. "You should go now, we can't have Mr. Boo waiting."

Wonwoo nodded, picking up another box of apples as he exited their shabby house out in the forests. 

"Good morning, Mr. Boo," he greeted, placing the boxes on the counter. "Here are the apples we've grown for the month."

"Oh, you're here, Wonwoo?" Mr. Boo asked, coming out from the store room. 

Mr. Boo was a kind, middle-aged man who owned a market in the central village with his wife and son. Wonwoo's family had been supplying them fruits and vegetables even since before he was born. His late father used to be really good friends with the man, and his death had caused immense sadness to him too. 

However, after his death, the crops that were growing behind their house had strangely started dying, and the only plant that was still standing strong was the huge apple tree. Due to their personal connections, Mr. Boo had still accepted the supplies of apples, as he knew that Wonwoo and his mom were poor and in need of more income.

"Yes, but I came alone, though. Mom isn't feeling well," Wonwoo spoke. 

"I see. Please take good care of her," the older man advised, picking up a box. 

"Seungkwan! Come here and place this box in the storage!" He called out to his son. 

Boo Seungkwan appeared from the same store room. "Okay, Dad. Oh hi, Wonwoo." 

"Hey," Wonwoo greeted back with a smile. 

"So, still _just_ apples, huh?" He asked, receiving a slap at the back of his head from his father. 

"I'm sorry he's always rude," Mr. Boo apologised. "I don't know what I did to have such a disrespectful child." 

Wonwoo laughed heartily. "It's okay, Mr. Boo, he's just brutally honest is all." 

Seungkwan rubbed the back of his head, shooting his father a glare before carrying the box inside. 

The older man shook his head before turning his attention back to Wonwoo. He handed the teenager a sack full of coins as payment for the apples. 

Wonwoo took the sack of coins before bowing gratefully. "Thank you!" 

Before he could leave, however, he was stopped. "Hold on, Wonwoo. Let me get some herbs for your mother. Don't worry, I'm giving them to you."

Once he had packed all the herbs he had chosen into small pouches, he handed them over to Wonwoo. 

"I don't know what to say," Wonwoo spoke. "You've always provided us with so much help. No words can describe how thankful my mom and I are towards you." 

Mr. Boo gave a pat on his back. "Your father and I were great friends. This is the only thing I can do for your family right now." He smiled warmly.

"That'll be all now, I guess. I better head back before Mom gets worried," Wonwoo said, pocketing the herbs in his makeshift bag. He decided it was best to hold onto the coins. 

The man nodded. "Okay. Stay safe now, you hear me? Send my regards to your mother." 

Wonwoo bid goodbye as he left, keeping his head low. 

Being a mere peasant living in the outskirts of the village, he felt conscious of himself. He couldn't afford better clothing than the ragged brown cloths he currently adorned. His social status in the society was obvious among the beautifully-clothed villagers. 

The further he walked, the crowd shrunk smaller and smaller, till there was barely anyone left near the entrance of the forest. 

He made his way through the greenery, walking down the familiar path that lead to his home. 

"I'm home, Mom!" He shouted. "I've brought home some coins and herbs that Mr. Boo gave." He explained, setting the bags on the wooden table. 

His mother appeared, looking pale. "Herbs? That man, he shouldn't have. Did you thank him?"

Wonwoo nodded, guiding his mother to a chair. "Of course, how could I not?" Once she was seated, he made his way to the kitchen. "I'll make some tea for you with the herbs we have now. Just sit there, okay?"

Once the tea was made and his mother had finished it as per his son's request, she went to her room to rest. 

Wonwoo also made his way into his room. The large wooden box sitting in the middle of the room reminded him of his previous task, before he was called to go to the shop. 

He had been placing things he didn't use anymore into the box so that he could sell them for extra money. Due to his mother's poor health, he wanted to send her to the clinic and buy some medication. Medical services were expensive in the village. 

As he was looking through his room, his eyes landed on a doll sitting on the windowsill. How could he have forgotten about the doll? 

He picked the doll up, admiring the well-done stitches his mom had sewn when the doll's arm had ripped. He remembered the doll being a present from his father when he was three. 

Ever since he had the doll when he was a child, he was attached to it. It was only until recently that he began to forgot about it. 

With a smile, he patted the doll's head as memories of his attachment to it filled his mind. 

~

_"Come on Minny, I won't leave you alone anymore, so don't be sad anymore okay?" A young Wonwoo spoke in a high-pitched voice._

_He walked out into the garden, where his father was picking apples from the apple tree._

_"Hello, Wonwoo," his father greeted, smiling at the sight of his three-year-old son in overalls. "Oh! And who do we have here?" He asked with exaggerated enthusiasm._

_Wonwoo held up the doll proudly. "Minny! He wouldn't stop crying last night so I've been keeping him company!" He stated proudly._

_"Is that so? You must be ready to be a big brother already, then!"_

_The child's eyes widened. "I want a brother! I wanna be a big brother!" He exclaimed._

_His father's eyes turned sad, though it wasn't noticeable to the oblivious child. "Once we have enough money, we'll get you a brother. How does that sound?" He squatted down and held the child's tiny shoulders gently._

_"Yay! I can have a brother!" Wonwoo cheered. He saw his mom walking into the garden. "Mommy! Daddy says he's going to buy me a brother once we have enough money!"_

_The woman turned to her husband amusedly, before looking at her son. "Really? Are you excited?"_

_Wonwoo nodded frantically. "Yes!" He giggled._

_Of course, he didn't get his brother._

_"Minny," a five-year-old Wonwoo whimpered under the blanket of his bed. "Why is Daddy not home yet? Mommy won't stop crying and Uncle Boo even came over with his family. They apologized for our loss. What does it mean, Minny?" He stared at the unmoving doll, feeling his eyes burn with tears that threatened to escape._

_From his room, the sound of his mother crying could still be heard. It was already past midnight yet she wasn't in her room, much to Wonwoo's confusion._

_"Is Daddy gone, Minny?" He asked softly. "I heard Uncle Boo saying that when someone doesn't come home for a long time, it means they went to a better place. Is that what happened to Daddy? Is there another place much better than where me and Mommy are?"_

_At that, he couldn't stop the tears from flowing down, wetting his pillow and the doll as he hugged it tightly._

_As years passed, Wonwoo still kept the doll. It was a reminder of his father, after all._

_"Shoot!" He cursed, as the arm of the doll got caught in the sharp stick he was carving. The sound of it being ripped off resounded in the room._

_In panic, he picked the doll and the detached arm and rushed to his mother who was cooking dinner._

_"Mom, mom! Please help me stitch this back on! I accidentally ripped it and..." His eyes filled with tears._

_His mother, though slightly surprised, put out the fire and wiped her hands on her clothes. She gently took the doll from her son's hands, as well as the ripped arm. Walking over to where she kept her sewing materials, she chuckled upon seeing her thirteen-year-old child pouting sadly behind her._

_"It'll be fine, Wonwoo. It's a doll. I can always stitch it back to perfection."_

_She didn't question his attachment to the doll, for she knew that this attachment was the only one he had to his late father._

_After a few minutes, she held the doll up, gaining the attention of Wonwoo who was dozing off. "Ta-dah! Good as new. See? You didn't have to worry, sweetie."_

_Wonwoo smiled brightly, hugging his mother before retreating back into his room, this time being extra careful while he did his carvings._

_~_

Wonwoo smiled a bittersweet smile at the memories.

"Hello, Minny," he whispered, stroking it's head. "How are you? I'm sorry for forgetting you."

He glanced at the box full of things waiting to be sold, before looking back at the doll. He quickly shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"I can't believe I was thinking of selling you away. I don't think I can do that."

He placed the doll on his bed, before returning to his task. While he was searching for random items, he decided to clean his room at the same time. He stopped upon seeing the calendar hung on the wall.

"Oh?" He spoke aloud, seeing the date **6 April**  being circled. "Tomorrow's the Prince's birthday. That means they're going to release lanterns in the village square. I really want to go but..." His eyes travelled the direction of his mother's bedroom. "I can't leave Mom alone. She'd also freak out if I'm not home by dark..."

Wonwoo loved seeing the lanterns. When he had snuck out once to see the hype of the Prince's birthday and memorial day, he was captivated by the lanterns released into the air. The people said that the sky lanterns would make their wishes come true, and during that night, they would all wish for the safe return of the missing Prince.

The teenager pondered about the Prince. It was said that 16 years ago, when the first prince was only two, a witch had trespassed into the castle and placed a spell that caused him to vanish. The Queen had tried all her might to find him for years to no avail. Wonwoo had forgotten, however, what kind of spell it was and what the Queen had done to find the Prince.

His mind contemplated throughout the day and night if he should go to the village to see them.

"Mom," Wonwoo asked first thing next morning as he prepared breakfast for his mother. "Is it... Is it okay if..." He stuttered nervously.

His mother chuckled, but it soon turned into a coughing fit. She quickly gulped down the cup of water Wonwoo had prepared on the table. She turned to her son once again.

"What is it that has you all nervous, sweetie?" she asked.

"It's just that... Tonight's the Prince's birthday and..."

"You want to go see the lanterns?" His mother guessed. Wonwoo nodded wordlessly. "I guess you could go, if you promise to stay safe. Besides, you're already nineteen. Maybe you could ask Seungkwan to go with you."

Wonwoo was ecstatic. Did his mother really gave him permission to go see the lights? He rushed over to his mother and gave her a tight hug, emitting a laugh from the latter.

"Thanks, Mom! I'll promise I'll stay safe. And Seungkwan's probably going with his friends anyways, and they don't like me, so..." 

His mother smiled and gave him a pat on the cheek. 

Wonwoo continued the day as per normal, until it was time for him to leave if he wanted to see the lanterns being released. 

While he was searching for clothes to wear, his mother came in, carrying something wrapped in a cloth. She placed it on the bed.

"Here, wear this to the village. It was your father's. I kept it with you in mind," she explained.

Wonwoo stared at the clothes, his eye wide, before turning to look at his mother. "Mom..."

"Now don't get emotional with me now, young man," she joked. "Go and get ready now so you won't miss anything!"

The boy slowly unwrapped the package, revealing clothes of different styles and different colour. A stray tear escaped his eyes before he could stop it. Grabbing a garment, he took a sniff at it and almost broke down. It still smelled of his father.

He chose the combination of clothes carefully before wearing them. "I'll wear your clothes with pride, Dad," he whispered. "Because that's what you've always done."

After getting ready, he kissed his mother on the cheeks and left the house. He made sure he was careful as he made his way out of the forest with a candle in hand. 

Once he reached the village square, he was greeted with many people, from excited children to adults. All of them had a lantern in their hands, getting ready to release them. Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned behind. 

"Wonwoo!" Mr. Boo greeted. "I thought I saw you walking around. Don't you have a lantern?" He asked.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Boo! And no, I don't actually. I thought I would just watch them," Wonwoo replied. 

Mrs. Boo, who was holding her lantern in one hand, reached out to pass Wonwoo something. "Here, luckily, I brought an extra just in case someone needs it." 

Wonwoo stared at the folded paper lantern, before taking it. "Thank you, Mrs. Boo," he thanked. She smiled in return.

Mr. Boo helped him unfold and set his lantern. He explained to him how they would all release the lantern and when to make a wish. 

Wonwoo held his lighted lantern excitedly, and at Mr. Boo's instruction, he let go of it and clasped his hands while wishing for not only the return of the Prince, but also for his mother to be well. He then watched as all the lanterns floated up in the sky beautifully. 

All of a sudden, the bustling came halted at the sound of a horse's hooves emerging. A man clad in neat and respectable clothes appeared on the horse and he stopped in the middle of the square.

"Attention, everyone!" He called out loudly, gaining everyone's attention as silence fell. "The Royal Family has ordered for all villagers to return to your houses at once. All peasants should leave their doors open. Their houses are to be checked thoroughly and all people living in the house should report in your living rooms. Any objections to the Royal Family's orders shall result in a heavy consequence." 

Like ants crawling around, the villagers rushed to head back to their homes. 

"You should head back now," Mr. Boo advised, and Wonwoo nodded. He waved goodbye at the couple before scurrying off.

As he reached the outskirts of the village, the peasants were more noticeable in their ragged clothing. As ordered, they had left the doors to their small homes opened. Wonwoo quickened his pace back into the forest, taking out his candle and lighting it up.

While he was walking, a thought struck him. Would they even be able to find his house? His family was not known in the village, and furthermore, it was located away from the village. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the idea of lanterns after watching a drama that mentioned how lanterns are released to make wishes... or something like that. And I kinda researched a bit about it. Then I realised it's kinda similar to the movie Tangled lmao. Love that movie :')


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mingyu appears.

The moon appeared in the dark sky, beautiful, white light piercing through the glass window of the room, and hitting the doll laying on the bed.

In a second, white fog appeared, enveloping the doll. A silhouette of a boy emerged, in place of the doll.

The boy opened his eyes carefully, and he felt the softness of the bed sheets beneath him.

_What is this?_ He thought. Slowly, he attempted to lift his hand, and was surprised to feel it move before he dropped it back down on the bed.  _I can move my limbs?_

This time, he turned his head to the side, and he was able to survey the clean and neat room he was in. He lifted his head up and brought a hand in front of is face. He turned he hands around, amazed at the appearance of himself. 

Sitting up, he continued looking at his hands, then his legs. It was then he realised he wasn't wearing anything. He had seen Wonwoo wearing clothes, so covering himself should be a normal thing to do. He swung his long legs over the bed and onto the wooden floor, hearing it creak. He managed to stand up with shaky legs, though he soon fell back onto the bed. After not being able to walk for sixteen years, it almost seemed as though he had forgotten how to. 

Well, he  _did_ forget all his memories as a child in the palace.

After a few pathetic attempts, he could finally walk slowly. Even if he may have forgotten how to walk before, it was impossible to not remember at all. 

The boy went towards the wardrobe, finding old, torn, but still wearable clothes sitting at the back of it. He settled for that as he put it on. It was slightly scratchy against his skin, which felt weird, but he figured he would endure it. 

As he supported himself against a chair, he spotted a mirror standing in the corner, and he moved to where he could see himself. 

What greeted him was his tall height, naturally sun-kissed skin, dark brown hair that looked black in the dark, and round doe eyes that sparkled in the moonlight.

Was this how he looked like all this while?

Was this him?

Was he really a human and not just a doll?

Why  _did_ he suddenly turn into a human?

Something gleaming in the light caught his attention, as his eyes zeroed in on a silver pendant that was lined with tiny stones resting on the dip between his neck and collarbones. He gently picked it up, seeing a crest he did not recognise. Turning it back, he found a name on it.

_Kim Mingyu._

All of a sudden, he felt dizzy as his head throbbed painfully. He kneeled on the ground, clutching his head. 

As he shut his eyes from the pain, a face of a woman appeared. She had the kindest eyes, the warmest smile and the gentlest laugh. It made his whole being warm. 

The pain subsided and he opened his eyes slowly.

Who was that woman? 

The sound of the front door opening alerted him that Wonwoo was home. He didn't think that his owner would be calm at seeing that his doll had became alive, so without any second thoughts, he pushed open the windows and jumped out into the garden, running (although he did fell a couple of times due to his jelly-like legs) to the only place he could think of– the apple tree. 

Wonwoo had arrived back into a silent home, and he figured that his mother was already asleep. He went into his room to change back into his normal clothes, when he realised the window was opened. 

Feeling alarmed, he closed it and went around the house to make sure nothing valuable was taken. Had he left the window open previously? 

He shook his head and went to the living room to wait for the royal guards to arrive. 

Only that they didn't.

"Wonwoo? Sweetie, what are you doing, sleeping on the couch like this?" His mother's soft voice woke him up the next morning.

Wonwoo jolted, looking around tiredly before remembering that there was supposed to be a visit last night. He pulled his mother's hand to sit next to him, and proceeded to tell her the events that had transpired the night before, including about the Royal Family's orders.

"My, my," his mother commented. "The Queen must be desperate in finding her son. How heartbreaking." She stared into space with a sad expression, before looking at her son. "I don't know what I'll do if I lost you."

Wonwoo smiled, pulling her in for a hug. "Even if you lost me, I'll find a way back to you, Mom." 

The day proceeded as per normal, with Wonwoo working around the house as he allowed his mother to rest, and then going to the garden to try and plant something new. 

A few days prior to that day, he had used up some of his savings to buy a packet of tomato seeds. He hoped to have some produce from planting the seed behind his house. 

After he was done with it, he stood up, groaning as his back hurt from bending down. He wondered if this was what his parents had been doing all their life. 

He decided to take a break underneath the apple tree, picking an apple for himself. He rubbed it on his shirt before taking a big bite out of the juicy fruit. The apple tree may have been the only plant that still bore fruits, but the apples produced were the best. He leaned against the trunk of the tree, before something caught his eye.

Turning his head, he spotted five eaten apples laying on the ground. They still looked fresh, however, as the leftovers hadn't browned just yet. Raising an eyebrow, he wondered who could've done that. He always threw his finished apples properly, and his mother had stayed indoors. 

He decided to dwell on it later when his mother called for him. Entering the house, he realised his mother was sitting, bent down as if in pain. Not caring if his shoes dirtied the floor, he ran in, crouching down to his mother's level.

"Mom? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He asked in panic. 

Her face was paler than the day before, and her lips a faded pink. Dark circles lined her eyes, like she hadn't been having a good night's sleep. 

His mother attempted a frail smile, shaking her head. "I... I just need to rest a bit. Can you help me?"

Nodding wordlessly, Wonwoo didn't hesitate to go to his mother's side, supporting her as she stood up on weak legs. They trudged towards her room, where Wonwoo laid his mother down gently. Her eyes closed immediately. 

"Thank you, sweetie..." she whispered. "You can leave now, I'm just going to take a quick rest."

"Okay..." he mumbled in reply, walking out and closing the door while leaving a gap, so that he could hear if he was called.

Wonwoo's heart was still beating rapidly from the previous panic he went through. Seeing his mother in pain like that had made him extremely worried. After all, his mother was the only family he had left.

He decided to cook some porridge with the leftover rice they had left. Adding the herbs given by Mr. Boo, he prayed with all his heart that one day, his mother would get better. 

He covered the pot after he was done, deciding to serve it to his mother once she woke up.

Wonwoo walked out of his house, going back to the apple tree where he previously saw the eaten apples. It still confused him. Had someone came over? Had someone  _trespassed?_  But then again, no one really knew how to get to his house in the forest, except for Mr. Boo. 

Circling the huge tree, he tried to find anything that could've been left behind by the perperator. However, his thoughts came to a halt when he saw his  _doll_  there, lying on the dirt. 

What was it doing out there?

Carefully, he picked it up, dusting the soil from it. 

"What are you doing out here?" He muttered. 

His head was hurting from trying to figure out what had happened, so he decided to let it go and head back in. Figuring that his mother could use some food before she continued resting, he placed the doll on the table and walked towards the black, ceramic pot. He proceeded to scoop a portion of the porridge into the bowl and walked into his mother's room. 

Placing the bowl on the bedside table, he gently tapped his mother. Although she was asleep, her eyebrows were scrunched. Wonwoo sighed sadly. 

"Mom..." He spoke quietly. "Come have a bit of porridge. It's dinner time already."

His mothered stirred in her sleep, before opening her eyes. "Oh, Wonwoo? " she asked weakly. "It's okay, I'm not hungry."

Wonwoo shook his head. "Just have a few spoons. You can't continue with an empty stomach. I won't allow that," he responded strictly. 

She offered a small smile before finally agreeing. Wonwoo helped her sit up in bed as he fed her.

*

The doll watched from the table as Wonwoo fed his mother, wiping the corners of her mouth when it got messy. The care, love and worry in his expression warmed his heart to the core. He wished that the boy would look at him like that, but knew that it would probably never happen, for he was only just a doll. 

However, after what happened last night, did he  _maybe_ have a chance?

Last night's happening puzzled him. In all the years he lived as a doll, from the moment he realised that he– a doll– was actually full of life, he had never turned into a human before. 

After he had left through the window the previous night, he had hid behind the apple tree, the one he remembered Wonwoo bringing him to often, and the one he had seen the boy's father. 

His stomach had growled strangely at that time, and so he decided to help himself to the juicy, red apples. He was going to throw away the stems, but didn't know that by the time the sun peaked through the east, he had turned back into a doll. Now, Wonwoo thought that someone had came and eaten them. 

He didn't realised throughout the night that he had been out in the cold, wearing nothing but thin scraps of cloth that served as clothing for him. He felt the familiar feeling of being sick crawling through him. 

Although he didn't get hungry when he was a doll, he could still somehow fall ill, and that was the problem, as he couldn't even drink water. 

When Mingyu heard the sound of footsteps approaching, he snapped out of his thoughts. He looked to see that Wonwoo had closed the door to his mother's room and went to eat the unfinished bowl of porridge. 

"Can't waste a single grain of rice," Wonwoo spoke to himself as he took a seat at the table and upon seeing the doll, he grabbed it.

Mingyu's heart flipped at the attention.

"Hm? Why is the doll so hot?" Wonwoo wondered. "Was it because of the heat from the stove?" He cocked his head to the side.

Nevertheless, he didn't think too much about it as he settled him back down on the wooden surface.

"Minny..." He suddenly spoke, and it almost felt as if he was really talking to him. "What should I do? Mom is getting worse day by day. I can't lose her..." 

Mingyu could only watch as the human boy suddenly broke down, covering his mouth to muffle his sobs. At that moment, Mingyu was reminded of the day Wonwoo had held him when his father passed away. It was extremely heartbreaking. The saddest part was that Mingyu could do nothing.

After a few minutes of crying, Wonwoo seemed to have calmed down, retreating into his room.

And forgetting the doll.

Mingyu understood, however, that the boy was going through a hard time.

Soon, the night sky outside engulfed the whole forest in darkness, and the moon was visible high up. Mingyu saw as the moonlight shined through the window like the night before, and soon, he was enveloped in a fog. He felt as his senses enhanced and he could control his limbs. 

The now human boy looked down at himself, seeing that he was still wearing the clothes from before. He smiled. Hopping down from the table, he suddenly felt dizzy and held his throbbing head. He knew he was still ill.

With ninja-like footsteps, he walked towards Wonwoo's room, seeing the door opened slightly. He peeked through it and saw that he was already asleep. Quietly, he pushed the door open and walked in towards him.

Lines of dried tears were stuck on the boy's cheeks. Even then, he looked peaceful in his slumber. Bringing up a hand, Mingyu gently pushed Wonwoo's fringe to the side, admiring his face. He sat on his knees next to the bed as he patted his head in soothing motions. 

"I hope you're only dreaming good dreams, Wonwoo," Mingyu whispered. 

Feeling as though he was too deep in his sleep, Mingyu leaned in close and planted a soft kiss on Wonwoo's forehead. 

"I love you."

Mingyu had been trapped in the doll for as long as he could remember. During all the years he had been under Wonwoo's care, Mingyu was able to observe the boy constantly. When Wonwoo had brought him to the garden, set him on the bed as he cleaned his room, hugged him as he cried for his father, and when he had cried because he ripped his arm by accident, Mingyu grew fonder of the boy.

And soon, that fondness had turned to love.

He never knew he was able to feel such a strong emotion. Mingyu had listened when Wonwoo's mother told him the stories of love, and the stories of how she had loved her husband. It was at those moments Mingyu realised that the strong emotion he felt was indeed love.

After his short moment with Wonwoo, Mingyu left the room, heading towards the stove. The porridge that Wonwoo had cooked seemed delicious. Furthermore, if he had cooked that for his sick mother, then it must be good in curing illnesses. He approached the bowl that the boy had eaten from before and found that it was unfinished. 

Grabbing hold of the bowl carefully, he walked towards the pot, lifting the lid up and placing it on the ground beside him. He scooped whatever was remaining in the pot into the bowl, and took a seat at the table. 

Mingyu stared at his bowl of porridge, wearing a wide grin despite feeling as though his head was going to split open like a coconut. This was going to be his first meal ever in this world, for he had never eaten anything besides the apples. 

He picked up his spoon, carrying some of the porridge into his mouth. Closing his eyes, he savoured the taste as the flavours from the herbs exploded in his mouth. It was  _delicious._ The moment he swallowed the food, he felt hunger hit him in full force, as if the years of not eating at all had accumulated to this moment. 

He wolfed down his food, not realising he had finished it in seconds. Pouting slightly at his empty bowl, he decided to drink a glass of water. 

He felt the cool liquid slide down his throat and felt the oncoming sore throat dissipate slightly. Was this the miracle of water Wonwoo had been talking about all these years? That water is the cure to all illnesses?

Once he was done drinking three glasses of water, he walked out of the house, heading towards the apples. It wouldn't hurt to have some desserts. 

However, Mingyu regretted stepping out the moment the cool wind of the night blew. He shivered uncontrollably, and sneezed. 

Despite that, he still plucked an apple and took a bite out of it, sitting down against the tree while hugging his knees. 

All of a sudden, he froze when he heard the sound of leaves crunching, and he looked up to see Wonwoo carrying a candle, squinting at his direction.

"Who's there?" Wonwoo asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ASDFGHJKLJHGF Idk man, I've completed this story months ago but as I post and read this again I feel like an outside reader and I get excited. xD


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonwoo meets Mingyu and a friendship is formed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited quite a bit in this chapter that's different from the one on AFF, but it's nothing major. I removed a portion of a line in one of the scenes here because I was cringing too hard. My attempt in implying any.. "sexual stuff" is just plain awkward. Sorry in advance lmao.

Wonwoo tossed and turned in his bed, not being able to go back to sleep. The sound of movements from outside his room had woken him up, and he initially thought that it was his mother. Then again, the sound of the back door opening and closing did not seem like his mother, as she wouldn't have left the house at this time. 

He decided to leave his bed then. When he walked out, he inspected everything. The porridge that he didn't had a chance to finish was gone, leaving behind a clean bowl. His eyes then spotted the lid of the pot on the ground, and walked towards it. Looking into the pot, he found it empty.

Who had been eating his food?

Wonwoo grabbed a candle from the table, heading out. He had heard the sound of someone going out through that door earlier on. 

The sound of someone biting into an apple notified him that there was indeed someone who had been eating his apples, and who had most probably also just eaten all of his porridge. 

As he neared the person, he could barely see the silhoutte. He squinted his eyes as the person looked up in alarm.

"Who's there?" Wonwoo decided to ask.

The person quickly stood up, dropping his apple in the process, before attempting to run away. However, his escape plan fell short as his knees buckled and he planted face first on the ground. 

Wonwoo, being the kind person he was, ran towards the person. 

"Are you okay?" He asked this time.

When the person finally got up and looked at him, Wonwoo realised that this person was still a boy. His innocent, doe eyes stared at him with guilt and fear, and Wonwoo immediately dropped any suspicions of him being harmful.

"Are you okay?" Wonwoo repeated. They were still crouched on the ground.

The boy nodded wordlessly. 

"Were you the one eating my apples and the porridge?" He asked kindly.

Again, though hesitant, the boy nodded. His eyes strayed to the ground, feeling guilty.

Wonwoo noticed the torn clothing the boy wore, and assumed that he was probably poor. Standing up, he offered a hand to the boy, pulling him up. It was then he realised that his guest was much taller than him. 

"Come, let's go in. It's really cold out here," Wonwoo offered. "Can you walk?" 

The boy nodded again as he followed Wonwoo towards the house with a slight limp in his right foot.

It was only when they reached the lighted living room that Wonwoo realised the boy's injured ankle, and the awkward paleness in his face. He also noted the holes in his clothes, showing his tanned skin. Wonwoo looked away immediately.

"Do you have a home?" Wonwoo questioned.

The boy nodded, before shaking his head. Wonwoo noticed this.

"So is that a yes or a no?"

"No," the boy whispered. 

Wonwoo raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you  _do_ speak. Do you have a name?"

"I... I think it's Kim Mingyu?" It came out more like a question. 

"Kim Mingyu?" Wonwoo repeated, tapping his chin. "That's a nice name. A name that would probably belong to a high class villager. My name's Jeon Wonwoo." He then pointed to a chair. "Come, sit here so we can discuss what to do with you at this time of night."

Shakily, Mingyu nodded. He was still shivering despite being surrounded with candles and a fireplace. He walked towards the chair with wobbly legs, his head still throbbing. Before he could comprehend anything, he lost all consciousness and fell to the ground with a thud. 

"Hey!" Wonwoo called out in alarm, running the short distance to the fallen boy. 

When he touched Mingyu's face, he gasped at how hot it felt. He was burning up. 

With all his strength, he supported the boy and dragged him to his room, laying him on his bed. He felt his forehead again, and concluded that Mingyu was most probably having a fever from being out in the cold. 

Although he was just a stranger, Wonwoo felt responsible for him. He pitied the boy who wore torn clothes and had no home. 

He walked towards the kitchen, filling a bowl with cold water and grabbing a rag. Once that was done, he went back in and placed the bowl on the floor beside the bed. He soaked the rag before pressing it on Mingyu's forehead, hoping to bring his temperature down. He dabbed the wet rag around his face gently, then towards his neck, where he avoided a necklace with stones that suspiciously resembled diamonds. 

Once, when he had fever, his mother had stayed next to him the whole time, wiping him down with a cold, wet rag in order to calm the raging temperature. Despite shivering from feeling cold, she had not allowed him to use his thick blanket, saying that it would only increase his temperature more. True enough, he became well the next day. 

Wonwoo eyed Mingyu's worn clothes. It was dirty, especially after he fell down. The holes in it did not help in preventing the boy from getting cold outside, which was most probably why he ended up sick. Sighing, he rested the wet rag on his forehead before heading to his closet. He took out a set of more warm clothing- although it was still the same, boring, old brown ones- and set it on the foot of the bed. 

With hesitant movements, he slowly attempted to pull off Mingyu's shirt. Thankfully, the boy was still pretty much out of it and he was able to take the garment off. Wonwoo tried not to stare too much as he soaked the rag again and brought it to Mingyu's bare chest, pressing it all around it. 

Mingyu moaned at the coolness, and Wonwoo froze, his eyes snapping towards the former's face. Thankfully, he hadn't woken up, and so he continued. 

Although he had told himself that staring wasn't nice, he couldn't help notice Mingyu's naturally tanned skin that looked beautiful, and the boy's lean stomach. Mingyu's appearance was certainly handsome. Something stirred inside him, and he quickly shook his head, placing the rag into the bowl. He grabbed his shirt from the foot of the bed and placed it over his head gently, helping him wear it. 

The problem then was his trousers, and with a flushed face, he hooked his fingers at the waistband and pulled it down slowly. Every now and then, he would check to see if Mingyu was awake. 

Grabbing the rag again, he dabbed it on the boy's shins, avoiding looking at a certain area. He carefully moved up, subtly admiring the other's thighs. Wonwoo hadn't realised, that by wiping down the boy's inner thighs, it had woken up a certain part of his body. Although  _that_ part was covered by the shirt, Wonwoo noticed as it suddenly rose slowly. He gulped.

He froze once more as Mingyu suddenly moaned again, his body squirming slightly. 

The sound of the boy's moans and seeing him writhing was not doing any good to Wonwoo, who felt his face burning up.

Quickly snatching the clean pair of trousers, he pulled them up Mingyu's naked legs. However, much to his embarrassment and horror, his hand accidentally brushed _it_ , producing another moan that sounded so lewd yet pleasing. 

With shaking hands, he finished putting on his pants, placed the rag on his forehead, and rushed out as quick as flash.

As Wonwoo stood outside the door with a hand placed on his chest to calm his erratic heartbeat, he wondered what just happened. 

*

Morning came just a few hours later, and Wonwoo woke up with a sore back from sleeping on his small, worn couch. He sat up groggily for a few seconds, before remembering his guest. He didn't want to scare his mother due to the sudden stranger in the house, so he quickly went into his room.

Only that he wasn't there anymore. 

Wonwoo looked around his room, then around the house and the house premises. There was still no sign of Kim Mingyu. However, the bowl and torn clothes were still there. 

In place of where Mingyu had laid, however, was his doll. Did he accidentally laid him down on the doll? 

The confused boy shook his head. Mingyu's absence was the question at that point. 

In the end, Wonwoo concluded that the boy must have left while he was asleep. He must've felt scared and uncomfortable, being an unfamiliar environment. For some reason, Wonwoo felt disappointed. Maybe it was because he thought that he would finally have a companion his age. If Mingyu was dressed like how he was last night, then he must be of same status as Wonwoo. They could get along just fine.

Wonwoo pondered about him throughout the day while he did his chores and took care of his mother. 

It was while he was reading a book in the living room at night when there was a knock on the door, and he opened it to reveal the tall boy from before. 

This time, Mingyu's face was full of colour and the smile on his face was prominent. 

"Oh, Mingyu?" Wonwoo asked in surprise. "I thought you left without a word last night. I was worried what would happen to you." He made way as he ushered the taller inside. His face heated up as he recalled last night, but he pushed the memories down so as to not make anyone uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry for leaving without thanking you. I got scared. But thanks to you, my fever is gone now," Mingyu spoke, smiling kindly. 

"I see. That's great then!" Wonwoo responded. A strange feeling of happiness bubbled it's way to the surface. "Have you eaten?" 

As if on cue, Mingyu's stomach growled loudly, causing him to blush and smile, feeling embarassed. 

"I take that as a no, then. Have a seat, I'll prepare some cut up apples and bread. Sorry, it's all we have," Wonwoo apologised.

Mingyu shook his head. "It's fine, really. I'm just really,  _really_  thankful for your kindness towards me, although I'm nothing but a stranger to you," he spoke, voice lined with an underlying sadness.

"Would you like to be my friend, then, Kim Mingyu?" Wonwoo asked, grinning widely as he placed the food on the table. 

"F...Friend?" Mingyu echoed, eyes wide. "Y-yes! I would like to be your  _friend!_ " 

His enthusiasm made Wonwoo laugh, who held out a hand. "Well, then  _friend_ , what would you like to do now?"

It was there that a friendship blossomed between the two. Mingyu would come by once the sun was down, and leave before sunrise. 

Which _actually_ meant that once the sun was down and the moonlight shone, Mingyu would turn into a human secretly, exit through the window, and run towards the door. Right before sunrise, he would allow himself to turn back into a doll on the bed, as Wonwoo would still be asleep. It was a repeated cycle, one that Mingyu was lucky enough to not get caught by his new friend. 

He knew he had to tell him one day.

His feelings for Wonwoo had only strengthen even more as he spent time with him. It was like a dream come true, having the person he secretly loved, look at him with warm and caring eyes. The love was not there yet, but maybe... Just  _maybe_ one day, he would eventually come to love him. 

But he knew better.

"Mingyu," Wonwoo called out one night while they were out in the garden, staring up at the stars while being wrapped under layers of blankets. 

The taller looked at him. "Yeah?"

"I wasn't going to say anything because I was scared it might be a sensitive question, but... Can you tell me more about yourself? I mean, what happened to your family? Or... What do you do once it's morning? You always leave when I'm still asleep, and I'm just really curious. My mom and I let you sleep here at night because you don't have a home but we don't know why you're not here the next day." Wonwoo spoke, sounding serious as he continued staring up. "And... Remember when I brought you to the village to look around? When you walked away, an elderly told me something strange... He said that in all his years he had been staying in the village, he knew everyone's faces. Yet, he didn't know you." 

Mingyu knew when that was, as it was the first time he had explored a whole new other environment.

_"Wow!" Mingyu exclaimed, seeing a store selling expensive yet beautiful clothing with intricate designs and in many colours._

_He looked around the village, admiring the lights all around and the hustle and bustle of the villagers. It was his first time seeing this many people. He found that he loved the village. Although he couldn't afford to buy anything from the beautiful stores, he was content on just seeing them._

_He loved watching as some food shop owners make their food in front of their customers. He loved hearing the sound of children's laughter as they played catching near the fountain spewing crystal clear water. Most of all, he loved walking around with Wonwoo._

_When he saw a booth with jewellery on the table, he ran towards it. "So pretty!" he spoke in awe._

_The old man at the booth smiled. "Pretty, aren't they? My wife makes them from scratch, using strings, metal, beads and stones. These aren't the real deal, however. Although... Your necklace seems like it is..." He muttered the last part._

_Mingyu nodded in interest. "Wow, your wife must be so talented!" he praised._

_The old man behind the table turned his attention away from the boy's necklace as he looked proud and nodded. "She is, indeed..."_

_"Mingyu!" Wonwoo called out behind him. "I was searching for you. Don't wander around by yourself_ – _"_

_"What is that furry creature?! It's so cute!" Mingyu ran away towards the puppy before Wonwoo could stop him._

_Wonwoo sighed tiredly, running a hand down his face. He didn't know his new friend could be this hyper. He had been running around the village in interest the whole time. Had he not been here before?_

_"Boy," the old man called. Wonwoo turned towards him. "Who was that kind young man?"_

_Wonwoo rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, he's my friend. Sorry, he's a bit excited."_

_"You know," the elderly spoke, "I have lived in this village for more than anyone else here, and I know each and everyone's faces. But that boy... I have never seen him before. Is he from here?"_

_"That's the thing I've been thinking about now..." Wonwoo whispered to himself. "If he was from here, then why is he so excited to be here?"_

Mingyu swallowed the lump in his throat, looking away. "My situation right now is really complicated, if I do say so myself," he confessed. "I know it's shameless of me, but is it okay if I tell just half the truth?"

Wonwoo turned to him now. "If that's the extent you're comfortable on telling me, then sure." 

Even when Mingyu seemed suspicious, Wonwoo still showed nothing but kindness. This was what made Mingyu fall deeper in love with him. His heart ached, as he stared back at the other's piercing but beautiful eyes. At the end of the night, he was nothing but a useless doll. One that had no control over himself. Love would not ever work out for him. Besides, Wonwoo would definitely not look at him the way the latter looked at him. To Wonwoo, Mingyu was just a poor, homeless and mysterious boy who happened to reside with him at night.

"I..." Mingyu cleared his throat as his voice sounded raspy. "I don't know anything about myself," he finally said. "I don't know who my family is, I don't know where I came from, I don't know what's my age or when I was born, and I don't know who I am."

Wonwoo's eyebrows furrowed as he thought about Mingyu's words. "What do you mean, you don't know? Did you lose your memories?"

The taller shrugged, staring at the ground. "I guess so..." He mumbled. 

"Then how did you know your name?" 

Mingyu looked up, hands going towards the necklace resting around his neck. "When I woke up from whatever it was, I found myself not remembering anything. But I found this necklace here that had the name  _Kim Mingyu_ written on the back of it, so I assumed that was my name."

Wonwoo leaned in close to look at the necklace. The only source of light was the candle and moonlight shining brightly than it had ever before. His fingers reached out towards the necklace to inspect it, not realising Mingyu had went rigid. 

The other was holding his breath as his heart thumped in his chest rapidly. Wonwoo's proximity was too noticeable now that his head was near his neck. Wonwoo's fingers gently touched the small stones lining the pendant.

"Is this real diamond?" Wonwoo asked, pulling Mingyu from whatever thoughts he had.

"I d-don't know..." 

Wonwoo was still staring at it, before he finally pulled away. "I'd say it must be silver, but then again if you do have diamond, it means that you're really rich. Silver could buy you a whole area of land. Or maybe I'm just exaggerating. But, that crest looks familiar actually," he said, tapping his chin in wonder.

As Mingyu could finally breathe, he scooted away slightly without making it obvious to his friend. Wonwoo was dangerous for his heart. "Oh..." he lamely replied. 

"Hey, Mingyu? Before you leave again, can I follow you once? I'm really curious on where you-"

"No!" Mingyu shouted before he could stop himself. He softened his voice. "I mean... You don't want to follow me... It's just... It's complicated, okay?" 

When Wonwoo remained quiet, he turned to him. He was facing away so he couldn't see his expression, but Mingyu knew Wonwoo was upset. Before he could apologise, Wonwoo turned to him with a sad smile. 

"Okay, Mingyu. I won't ask anymore until you feel like you can trust me. I'm just... _frustrated._ You're the first ever proper friend I made, and I can only see you for not even five hours. When you're gone, I just feel worried about you. What if you're suffering all this while and I couldn't even do anything for you?" 

_Believe me, I've seen you suffer yet I couldn't do anything for you. You shouldn't feel this way, Wonwoo,_ Mingyu thought. 

Mingyu unconciously broke into a smile upon hearing that Wonwoo was worried about him. "Thank you for worrying about me, Wonwoo. Just know that wherever I am in the morning, it's a good place filled with good people."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish that porridge was spaghetti so I can make Wonwoo say "WHO TOUCHA MY SPAGHET". 
> 
> If you think that the scene where Wonwoo helps Mingyu put on a pair of pants is an awkward attempt of spicing things up, then you're gonna have to prepare for another awkward "smutty" scene in chapter 7. Ugh I hate myself lol. 
> 
> I actually initially wrote this story intending for it to be a oneshot or like a two-chaptered fic, so I apologise if there are any time skips or things that happen a bit too fast, cuz that was meant to fit into a really short story. But I ended up writing too much that it's become a 10-chaptered story with currently 2 extra chapters.
> 
> Tell me your thoughts on this chapter...if you want? :3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their friendship is put to the test... after one chapter of it being formed (lol).

When Wonwoo opened his eyes the next morning, he looked at the makeshift bed on the ground next to his bed only to find it empty as usual. He buried his disappointment again and got up to prepare for the day. 

After taking a shower, he plucked some apples and cut them up for his mother. He made some tea and placed it on the table. 

"Mom, come eat some apples and have some tea!" He called out. "I'm going to the village to buy some rice and bread." 

His mother appeared from the doorway, still looking really weak. She smiled and thanked him, taking a sip from the cup. 

"You just stay at home, okay? I'll be home as soon as possible. Just rest." Wonwoo gave a loving kiss on his mother's head, before grabbing his bag and leaving.

Wonwoo didn't wear his father's clothes to the village, saving them for special occasions. He was only simply going to the market, anyway. 

When he reached the market, he greeted Mr. Boo who was restocking some products. "Good morning, Mr. Boo, I'm here to buy some rice and bread."

"Wonwoo! It's been long. You need rice and bread? Hold on, let me get the freshest one for you."

Mr. Boo returned with a small sack of rice and a neatly wrapped loaf of bread. "Here you go, son." He smiled kindly. "Oh wait, I almost forgot! Here, a present for you and your mom. I know you don't like receiving items from me, but please accept them. It's the least I could do for you. You are like family to us." 

Wonwoo looked at the brown sack. He couldn't see what was inside, so he didn't know what they were. "You didn't have to, Mr. Boo, but I'll accept them with utmost gratefulness." 

Just as he reached into his bag to take his coins, the elder stopped him. "Just take these, alright? Consider it a gift from my family. I can't bare to receive money from you."

"Mr. Boo-"

The man smiled at him, shaking his head. "What use is there if my family is full of wealth yet we can't share with those who need it?" 

Wonwoo felt like he could cry. Despite being at the bottom of the hierarchy, Mr. Boo and his family had always been there for him.

"Thank you, Mr. Boo. Thank you so much."

Mr. Boo patted him on the shoulder, before going to pack the food items together so that it'd be easier to carry. He thanked Mr. Boo once again as he carried the items outside carefully. 

As he was walking past the different shops and booths, he came across the same old man who sold jewellery.

He must've been staring too long as the old man turned to him, smiling. "Ah, it's you again. Where's your friend?" he asked.

Wonwoo offered a smile back, greeting him. "Hello. My friend is somewhere else right now," he replied.

"I see," he spoke. "Say, what does your friend do?"

The teenager scratched his head. "If I have to be honest, I don't really know."

"Hm... You know, there was something about him. I've been handling real and fake jewellery for a really long time, and I know when one is definitely real. That necklace your friend wore? The stones are definitely real diamonds. Whatever your friend is doing, it could be that he's loaded or he's doing something really bad. Be careful, boy," he advised.

Wonwoo's eyes widened. Mingyu's necklace actually had real diamonds? Just who was he? 

He frowned as thoughts swirled through his head during the whole trip back home. 

Wonwoo heaved the sack of rice onto the dining table, followed by the mysterious sack. He opened it to reveal the loaf of bread, and other items. Removing the bread and placing it neatly on the shelf, he went back to the brown bag and checked it's contents. 

There were potatoes, sweet potatoes, some leafy vegetables, a small packet of sugar and salt, and more food items. 

Wonwoo was touched. These foods could last him for months. He felt ashamed for accepting such stuffs, but he knew Mr. Boo genuinely wanted to help him and his mother out. 

"What are those, sweetie?" his mother asked, appearing next to him.

"Mr. Boo insisted on giving these to us. I tried to refuse, but he was adamant."

His mother sighed. "Well, I remembered Pastor Jisoo once said that it was fine if the poor received items for free, so let's just accept these with gratefulness, okay?"

Wonwoo nodded. "That's what I told Mr. Boo when I accepted it." He grinned.

He decided to prepare lunch and dinner together after he organised the food items he had just acquired. Although there was a lot of food now, he wasn't going to use all of it then. He carefully measured each ingredient as he cooked vegetable soup with rice. 

After lunch, Wonwoo's mother decided to spend her time knitting. Wonwoo left her to it as he went into his room.

He took a seat at his small desk, picking up a wooden block. He hadn't been carving much lately. The last time he did, he carved out an ornament that resembled an apple. 

Wonwoo picked up the wooden block and began carving.

When it was almost sundown, he held the carved block away, admiring his work. It was a puppy, one that greatly resembled the one at the village when he went there with Mingyu. 

The thought of Mingyu made him frown. His suspicions towards the other grew as he thought about it more. He didn't know what Mingyu did for a living, or where he went in the day. He wore torn clothes the first time they met, but the necklace he wore contradicted it. Was he poor, or was he rich?

Was he a thief, then?

Would that explain his clothes yet expensive accessory?

Wonwoo decided to wait for Mingyu's arrival at the living room, placing the wooden puppy on the table.

His mother was seated on the sofa, with a blue knitted scarf in her hand.

"Oh, Wonwoo," she called. "Could you pass this to Mingyu when he comes over? That boy is always shivering in the cold." She held up the scarf, which Wonwoo took it.

"Um, sure," Wonwoo responded.

His mother's smiled widened. "Thank you, sweetie. It feels like I have a second son, now that Mingyu's here. Please take good care of him, okay? I'm going to bed now. Thank you for cooking dinner." She placed a kiss on Wonwoo's cheek before going back into her room.

Wonwoo replaced his mother's presence on the sofa, staring at the blue scarf and frowning.

When the sun was down, the door knocked, and Mingyu entered. 

The taller smiled widely at his friend until he noticed Wonwoo's frown.

"Is there something wrong?" Mingyu asked wearily. 

Wonwoo gestured for him to follow him as the other picked up a candle. Mingyu tailed behind him as they walked out into the garden.

"I didn't want to disturb my mom," Wonwoo explained, turning around to face him.

"Oh, okay..." Mingyu had a bad feeling about where this conversation could go. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Wonwoo pointed towards his necklace, almost accusingly. "Where exactly did you get that necklace? And tell me the truth."

"What do you mean, Wonwoo? I-"

"Just answer me, Mingyu!" 

Mingyu was silent as he stared at Wonwoo. The other had never raised his voice at him like that. He gulped.

"I... I told you, I don't know..." he mumbled.

"Did you steal it?"

Wonwoo's question caught him off guard. Why was he like this?

Mingyu shook his head quickly. "No! Of course I didn't. I'm not... I'm not a thief."

His friend ran a hand through his hair, sighing frustratedly. "Okay, then tell me, did you know that the necklace had real _diamonds_? Mingyu, one does not just own something so valuable and is homeless. Diamonds are really rare. Tell me the truth, Mingyu."

That was the thing. Mingyu  _didn't_ know the truth. He wished he did. All those time he stared at it in wonder, thinking of how he got it. However, the only thing that came to mind was the woman. 

"I- I don't k- know, Wonwoo. I don't know," Mingyu's voice shook as he replied. 

"Then why are you here?!" Wonwoo asked harshly. "You can't even tell me where you're from or what you do. You own actual _diamonds_ that could save anyone from poverty and yet you claim you don't know where you got it. How can I trust you anymore, Mingyu?"

It felt as though someone had stabbed Mingyu's heart repeatedly with a knife, as he stared into Wonwoo's eyes that was no longer the same warm and caring ones. Instead, anger and suspicion replaced them, and Mingyu didn't like that look. He felt a tear escape before he could stop it.

"I- I really don't know where I came from... But Wonwoo, I'm... _I'm Minny,_ " he blurted.

Wonwoo stared at the tall boy incredulously.

And slapped him across the face.

Mingyu's head whipped to the side as he brought a hand to his stinging cheek. 

"I can't believe you, Mingyu. All I wanted to know was where you're from, and you say that you're my  _doll?_ " He laughed in disbelief. "Do you expect me to believe you?"

Mingyu's broken heart shattered further into minute particles. He didn't think it was possible, but that was how he felt. Not only had Wonwoo just slapped him, but he had completely lost trust in him. He turned to look at him with glassy eyes.

"When you were three, you brought me over to your dad and told him you took care of me. Your dad told you that you were ready to be a big brother. When you were five, your dad didn't come home. It turned out he died while he went fishing. Your mom couldn't stop crying throughout the night, and you asked me if where your dad went was much better than where you and your mom were."

Mingyu pulled the neckline of his shirt, making a scar of his shoulder visible. Streams of tears flowed down his cheeks as he spoke. "When you were thirteen, you were carving a sharp stick when you ripped my arm off. You cried when you asked your mother to sew it back on. A few weeks ago, you went to watch the lanterns at the village, and your mom gave you your dad's clothes... I can go on, Wonwoo. I know each and every detail of your life, because for as long as I could remember, I was your doll, sitting on your windowsill as I watched you grow up."

Wonwoo could not believe what he was hearing. Mingyu had explained each important detail of his life accurately which he had never told him before. How was this possible?

Mingyu watched forlornly as Wonwoo took a step back in horror. 

"You... How did you know?!" Wonwoo asked. When Mingyu opened his mouth to speak, he shook his head. "No,  _no._ Just... Just stay away from me. I don't know what kind of stalker you are or who told you all this, but I am  _not_ going to believe that you're my doll, because that is _impossible_." And with that, he turned and ran back into the house, leaving Mingyu alone in the cold night.

Mingyu sunk on his knees as he let out choked sobs. He clutched his heart. It ached  _so much._  He felt like he was suffocating, like he was drowning and he couldn't breathe. 

Mingyu loved Wonwoo so much. Wonwoo meant the world to him. He didn't just fell in love with the boy he watched grow up, but the one who had showed kindness towards him and cared for him when he had no one. 

With his eyes blurred with tears, he got up. He started running past the apple tree and further into the forest. He didn't know where he would go, but he just wanted to be far away from the source of his immense pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It had to be done I'm sorry :(


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonwoo finds Mingyu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... suck at summaries. I'm half asleep rn.

Wonwoo didn't realised that he was crying too until he felt the saltiness hit his mouth. 

As he entered his room, he started pacing around, when he remembered the doll. It was absolutely absurd just thinking about it, but he found searching frantically for it. He stopped in the middle of his room. Didn't he just saw it on the bed earlier? 

Despite his attempts, the doll was nowhere to be found, which made Mingyu's words more credible. Was Mingyu really Minny? Had Mingyu really watched him as a doll as he grew up? 

Was that... Was that why he always left in the morning and came at night?

He had only ever heard of curses that affect someone in a similar way to that, but he never knew it could be true. At that point of time, he  _didn't_ want it to be true.

All the questions he had about Mingyu suddenly made sense. Why he was so excited to be in the village, why the old man had not seen him before, and why Mingyu kept saying he didn't know where he came from.

It was all because Mingyu had lived his entire life as a doll, restricted to the four walls of his home. 

Wonwoo's knees buckled, and he fell onto the floor. 

He had unnecessarily slapped him across the face and said useless harsh words to the other. How hurt must he have felt? 

"Oh God, Mingyu," he breathed as he remembered that Mingyu was left outside.

He quickly ran towards the garden, only to find it empty. Panic crawled through his skin. 

"Mingyu!" He called out. "Kim Mingyu!"

No response.

He couldn't have ran into the forest, could he? The depths of the forest was certainly dangerous, and Mingyu could definitely get hurt. 

Wonwoo ran back into the house, alerting his mother. "Mom, mom!" She jolted awake at the panicked voice of his son. "Mingyu...  _Oh God,_ Mingyu. He... He ran into the forest because I said some useless things and... Mom, he's going to get hurt in there!" Wonwoo didn't care if he was nineteen and still crying like a baby in front of his mother.

"Wonwoo, sweetie, calm down. It'll be dangerous if you let Mingyu stay in the forest. Take some things and search for him." 

Wonwoo nodded. "O- okay..."

"Stay safe, Wonwoo," she called out.

Wonwoo ran towards the kitchen cabinet, grabbing a lamp. He went into his room, picking up the sharp stick he had carved once.

After acquiring those items, he left, not before bringing along the blue scarf his mother had knitted for Mingyu.

He lighted the lamp, brightening the path in front of him. Wonwoo didn't hesitate to run into the forest, calling out for Mingyu desperately.

"Mingyu! Kim Mingyu! Where are you, Mingyu? I'm... I'm sorry, okay?" 

Wonwoo had to find Mingyu before the sun rose, because if he really did turn back into a doll, then it would be hard to find him. 

*

Mingyu didn't know where he was. Tears were still flowing down his cheeks and the area was pitch black and cold. He had tripped on branches and fell a few times already. 

The whole time, his mind was only clouded with Wonwoo.  _Wonwoo. Wonwoo. Wonwoo._

Would Wonwoo come and find him? Surely, he couldn't have just left him, right? However, he did tell him to stay away from the other. Mingyu clutched his chest as it ached even more. 

Through his tears and darkness, he didn't register the steep slope on the ground before he slipped and rolled down, spraining his ankle in the process. He groaned in pain loudly, clutching his foot.

The pain that shot through his foot at the slightest movement numbed the aching in his chest, however. He sobbed loudly as he sat on the ground, losing all hope.

Looking up at the sky, he saw as it started turning into a shade of dark blue, indicating that sunrise was soon. 

Was it a great idea for him to mindlessly run into the forest just like that? Definitely not. 

As the sun rays peaked through the leaves of the tall trees, a last tear fell as he turned back into a doll. 

_And it felt like hell._

Mingyu wondered, what he did to deserve this suffering, for he suddenly felt a surge of panic and anxiousness. He had been getting used to being human, that going back into being a doll was painful, as he was much more conscious of his inability to move or speak. If one had the supernatural ability to hear things from another realm, they would be able to hear the faint screams and cries from the doll laying in the dirt.

_I shouldn't have ran away like that. What if Wonwoo does go and search for me?_

_Wonwoo. I love you so much, Wonwoo._

_*_

Wonwoo's attempts were futile, as he trudged back home with swollen eyes from crying. He couldn't find Mingyu, and it was already day. 

He decided to head back home first to care for his sick mother before he would go out to search again.

His mother was waiting for him on the couch, wearing a worried expression.

She was about to ask if Mingyu had been found, but stopped short when her son came alone.

"I'll... I'll search for him again once you've eaten and rest..." Wonwoo spoke in a hoarse voice, going into the bathroom to clean up. 

True to his words, the moment his mom promised she would rest properly, Wonwoo left the house again, heading for the forest. He was determined to find Mingyu, even if he were a doll. Wonwoo still knew how the doll looked like and would be able to spot it. 

Soon, the birds chirped as they returned to their nests, and the sunset painted the sky a beautiful mixture of rose quartz and serenity. 

Wonwoo stomped through the muddy ground, shouting for Mingyu's name repeatedly.

*

Mingyu's finger twitched, and he quickly turned towards it. He was back into a human, making him sigh as he could finally feel slightly at ease. The pain in his ankle still throbbed, as did his aching heart. He tried to stand up, only to fall back down. 

He groaned in pain as he reached over and clutched his foot. However, his cry fell short as he froze and stared towards a movement not far away. 

A 4-foot scaly creature slithered through the ground threateningly, it's narrow tongue sticking out every now and then. Mingyu had heard of such creatures before. It was a  _snake._ He knew there were many species of them, and some could be poisonous. 

The deep yellow-coloured snake with dark brown spots running down it's length moved sluggishly. It was only a few feet away from Mingyu then. 

Terrified, Mingyu did the only thing he could think of. 

Grabbing a nearby stone, he hurled it towards the snake, hoping it would scare it off. 

Much to his dread, the snake did not go away. Instead, it raised the first third of it's body towards him and hissed loudly, looking ready to strike. It sent shivers down his spine, and all he could do was crawled backwards away from it. 

"Mingyu?" A familiar voice asked from above him. "Mingyu, is that you? Mingyu!"

Mingyu's eyes widened as he recognised Wonwoo behind the bright light. "Won... Wonwoo?"

His eyes snapped back towards the snake that was ready to pounce. However, as quick as flash, it dropped back onto the ground, a long stick impaled through it. 

Before he could comprehend what had just transpired, he felt himself being pulled into a tight hug. 

"I'm so sorry, Mingyu. I... I'm so sorry. I won't leave you alone anymore. I won't..." Wonwoo spoke. 

Mingyu froze. Had Wonwoo really come for him him? Surely, he wasn't hallucinating from hunger, was he?

Slowly, he raised his arms and hugged Wonwoo back, shivering. Wonwoo, who had felt Mingyu's shivers, pulled away. He wrapped the blue scarf around Mingyu's neck to keep him warm.

"Are you hurt?" Wonwoo asked gently, reaching out to wipe the other's own tears away. 

"My foot..." Mingyu muttered, blushing under his touch as he concluded that _n_ _o,_ he wasn't hallucinating.

Wonwoo directed the light towards his foot. There was a bruise starting to form, and he figured that it must be sprained. 

"Let's get you back, okay? Let's get you warm again. I'll wrap your foot up nicely when we get back."

Mingyu shook his head. "I can't stand properly, and I'll just trouble you. Let's wait for a few more minutes. It'll be sunrise soon..."

Wonwoo now knew what he meant. Once it's sunrise, he'll turn back into a doll, which meant it'll be easier to carry him. He gulped and nodded reluctantly.

"Okay, but let's get you warm first."

He removed his thin cardigan, making Mingyu wear it. He then sat behind him with Mingyu in between his legs and leaning against him. Wonwoo gently wrapped his arms around him. 

Mingyu was indeed warm now.

"Mingyu," Wonwoo whispered. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I was so caught up in my own feelings I didn't believe you when I should have. You could've gotten much more injured if I hadn't found you on time..." He spoke, referring to the now dead snake laying far from them. Bringing a hand up, he caressed the cheek where he had slapped Mingyu. "I have no excuse for hitting you, too. I'm a horrible person..." 

Mingyu loved the feel of Wonwoo's gentle stroking. He unconsciously leaned into his touch, closing his eyes. He felt as Wonwoo placed a kiss on his head, and his insides melted.

"Wonwoo, I... I..."

"Yes, Mingyu?"

"It's okay, I'll tell you some other time. It's almost sunrise," Mingyu spoke dejectedly.

Wonwoo tightened his hold on Mingyu. 

All of a sudden, Mingyu was engulfed in the familiar smoke. 

Behind him, Wonwoo could instantly feel the loss of warmth. In place of where Mingyu just laid a few seconds earlier, was the doll he had kept all his life. 

The tears that he had been trying to keep at bay broke free. Wonwoo covered his mouth quickly and attempted to calm himself. He didn't want to alarm his friend.

Mingyu had been telling the truth. Mingyu really had been Minny this whole time. 

And Mingyu had been trapped in the doll, suffering. 

Wonwoo stood up, gently picking up the doll. 

"Mingyu, you can still hear me, can't you? I promise you, I'll make your life more bearable." He hugged the doll carefully.

As he walked back towards his home, a thought struck him. He held up the doll.

"Wait, if you were my doll this whole time, had you been watching me as I changed my clothes too?!" His face heated up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put y'all out of your miseries. x3
> 
> I did my research and that snake is a russell's viper and I initially wrote that as 4-inch and when I was re-reading it i was like wait no that's too short?????
> 
> Remember that I moved fast cuz I didn't intend for the fic to be chaptered like this lmao I wrote the whole story in one page then realised the amount of words and had to break them into chapters.
> 
> I wanna post the next chapter as well but I know there's editing needed for that and I'm really super tired lol I'm only posting this for tonight (or today, wherever you are). Also if there's any mistakes here, pls excuse me, my eyes are half-open as I type lmao. You can head over to AFF to read if you want but that barely has any editing done except some parts that I only realise as I was copy-pasting the chapter into AO3.
> 
> Oh and next chapter apparently has a cringy attempt at mild smut (??? what considers as mild tho??) so that definitely needs some editing. I may remove the whole smut thing or just change it or something. 
> 
> Also just a note, Wonwoo is oblivious to the Prince being cursed, he only knew the Prince vanished, so he didn't think that Mingyu was related in any way.
> 
> Ok i'm gonna sleep goodnight 
> 
> im gonna post this without preview wish me luck nites i'll respond to comments tmr


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mingyu and Wonwoo bond even more. 
> 
> o.o

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... halfway through this chapter is my attempt at mild smut... *cringe attack* I actually don't know what counts as mild smut but you'll get it when you read it lmao. I've separated that portion with a '-' so you can just skip it if you want.

"Mom, I'm home! I found Mingyu, but you won't believe this!" Wonwoo shouted as he entered his home.

He spotted his mom coughing and drinking a glass of water with shaking hands. When she spotted her son, she smiled weakly.

"You found Mingyu? But... Where is he?"

Wonwoo held up the doll. 

It took a lot of convincing and explaining, but after a while, his mother seemed to finally believe what Wonwoo was saying. She sat back on the sofa and stared at the doll. 

"So... So Mingyu's in there now? He can still hear and see us?" She asked. Wonwoo nodded. 

"Let's have dinner together tonight and we can talk things out," he suggested, to which his mother agreed. 

That night, Mingyu sat across Wonwoo, with the latter's mother at the head of the table. 

"So, Mingyu, you really have no memories of your past life at all?" Wonwoo's mother asked.

Mingyu shook his head. "I really don't. I wish I could remember, though. I constantly feel bad for the both of you for not throwing me out despite not knowing my background. I thought that you would get freaked out and burn my doll to ashes or something..."

Wonwoo chuckled. "We won't go to that extent, Mingyu. Besides, Mom basically considers you her second son."

The three talked through the night, until Wonwoo's mother retreated to her room. Wonwoo noticed how his mother hadn't been eating much lately.

"I feel like taking a bath," Mingyu announced suddenly. "I was basically out for two days and I fell on dirt and mud..."

Wonwoo scrunched his nose adorably. "I don't think I needed to know that. But sure, let's get you cleaned up. Now that I think about it, if you've been a doll this whole time, that meant you haven't showered in years." He snickered.

Mingyu turned red. "Don't tease me. I didn't ask to be a doll..."

Wonwoo smiled sadly, before standing up. "Here, let me help you get to the bathroom. Your ankle is still bruised." 

The taller placed his arm around Wonwoo, as the latter helped him move towards the bathroom. Wonwoo was convinced that if he left Mingyu in the bathroom alone, he was bound to hurt himself due to his still injured leg.

That was why he was currently in the tub of soapy water, sitting behind Mingyu as he helped the other scrubbed his upper body. It was very unusual for the two to be doing this, however natural they felt. 

"Wonwoo," Mingyu spoke as he felt his back being scrubbed off its dirt. "Thank you for looking for me."

Wonwoo paused for a moment. "I had to. It was my fault, after all. I hurt you so badly before and I immediately regretted it."

"It wasn't your fault, Wonwoo. I was just dumb enough to run into the forest despite knowing its dangers..." 

Mingyu stilled, his breath catching in his throat as he felt Wonwoo hugged him, his bare chest against his back. "I don't even want to think what could have happened to you if the snake bit you. You're my good friend, Mingyu. My only friend..."

*

Weeks passed, and soon, months passed as well. Wonwoo continued caring for Mingyu as he turned into a human at night. They had become even closer, too. However, Wonwoo was still oblivious to Mingyu's feelings for him. Wonwoo's mother treated Mingyu like her own son, that Mingyu had started to call her "Mom". He liked the idea of having a mother. He loved a mother's warmth.

The two boys were currently on Wonwoo's bed with a book in front of them. Wonwoo had been telling Mingyu all about the book, talking animatedly. The boy surely did love learning. It was a pity he could never attend school, having to learn by himself. 

Mingyu had a cup of tea in his hands, made by Wonwoo for the chilly night. According to him, he didn't want the taller to fall ill. As he listened to Wonwoo, he took careful sips of the drink. It was nice. 

The fact about Wonwoo was that when he talked enthusiastically, he tended to move his arms around, which was probably how Mingyu ended up jumping down the bed as hot tea spilled over him. He winced at the feeling of the hot liquid on his skin. 

"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" Wonwoo apologised, climbing down the bed and grabbing a random cloth from his table. "Here, take this." 

Mingyu snatched the cloth from him, and the other thought that he might be upset. However, Mingyu looked up apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I spilled tea on your bed."

"Mingyu, you don't have to apologise! I was the one who caused this. Besides, I can always change the sheets of my bed." He looked down at Mingyu's soaked clothes and sighed. "I guess you need a new set of clothes." 

Mingyu smiled shyly. "Sorry, again." 

Wonwoo waved it off, finding a larger shirt for Mingyu to wear. "Wear this," he offered, before sitting on the dry side of his bed. 

What he didn't expect was for Mingyu to pull his shirt right off in front of him. 

Wonwoo swallowed the lump in his throat. The night's memories when he had taken care of Mingyu the first time played in his head. He scolded himself internally for having such thoughts.

"Um, Wonwoo?" Mingyu called out, pulling him from his thoughts. "My pants are... Kind of wet too?"

"Oh, s-sure," he stuttered, standing up to head to his closet, only to be faced chest-to-chest with Mingyu.

Wonwoo gulped, growing more aware of Mingyu's presence in the cramp area. As he stumbled on his foot, Mingyu quickly held onto his shoulders, steadying him.

"Careful," he whispered, for the short distance between them didn't call for talking normally.

"Th-thanks."

What the other didn't know was the feelings Mingyu was trying to suppress but failing with each second his chest was against Wonwoo's.

"Um, Wonwoo?" Mingyu asked hesitantly. The said boy looked up nervously into his eyes. "C-can I do something?"

Wonwoo gulped again. "Do what?"

His breath hitched, as Mingyu leaned down slowly, landing his soft lips onto his. Both boys' hearts were beating erratically against their chests.

Upon feeling that Wonwoo hadn't pulled away, Mingyu decided to press his lips even more against Wonwoo's, attempting to move them gently. 

Wonwoo stood frozen before he felt his body warming up to the kiss, and he closed his eyes. He felt as Mingyu gently cupped his jaw with a hand, deepening the kiss. He couldn't help the whine that escaped his mouth the moment Mingyu bit his bottom lip and sucked on it. 

He didn't know how or when, but soon, the atmosphere grew heated as the two were absorbed moving their tongues against each other in a battle of dominance. Wonwoo then took the initiative to leave Mingyu's lips, only to kiss down from his jawline to his neck. 

If Wonwoo had to be really honest, he didn't know what he was doing. It was merely instincts and feelings that had led him to this point. 

When he had hesitated to continue, Mingyu quickly raked his hands through his head, keeping his head there. "Don't stop," he breathed. "That feels good."

That was all Wonwoo needed to continue. 

-

His hands slid under Mingyu's shirt that he just wore, pushing it up and over his head. He allowed himself to run his hands down the front of his torso painstakingly slowly, earning a moan. 

"Wonwoo," Mingyu panted, tugging the edge of Wonwoo's shirt. "Take this off too." 

Wonwoo complied at once, detaching his lips from Mingyu's neck to take his shirt off, throwing it on the ground. He brought his lips back to Mingyu's, ravishing the other's lips passionately. 

Mingyu brought his hands down Wonwoo's back and to his hips, pulling him closer. The both moaned in each other's mouths as their excited members rubbed against each other through the thin fabric of their trousers.

As if his body had a mind of it's own, Wonwoo started grinding his hips on Mingyu's. 

It was a mess of pants, moans, and kisses as Wonwoo pushed Mingyu down on his bed, straddling him. The sheets were still wet, but at that point, the cool dampness felt pleasing against the taller's back.

As Wonwoo kissed down Mingyu's chest, he panted, "What are we doing, Mingyu?"

The said boy groaned as he fisted the bed sheets when Wonwoo pinched a nipple. "I don't know, but... It feels right..."

_It feels right._

Did it feel right, though? Wonwoo thought, feeling his heart beat faster when he looked up to see that Mingyu was already staring at him with lustful eyes that was filled with emotion. 

It did.

He smiled a smile, one that was full of warmth, and care, and passion. Landing his lips on the other's nipple while playing with the other, he relished in the pleasured sounds coming from below him. 

"Does this feel good, Mingyu?" He questioned with a deep, raspy voice, that made Mingyu feel like he could explode. 

Mingyu nodded, shutting his eyes tightly as he bit his lips. "Yes..." He whispered.

Wonwoo felt the fiery passion growing intense. He grinded his hips down on Mingyu again, and the pleasure that shot through his lower half was mind-blowing. Soon, Mingyu was pulling down the other's pants, using his own legs to kick them off the bed. 

Wonwoo slid down Mingyu's tall figure, grabbing the waistband of his damp trousers and pulling it off as well. He took a few seconds to admire Mingyu's erection that looked so tempting under the moonlight. 

As he crawled back up, he gave a gentle peck on the tip, making Mingyu whine and squirm. Wonwoo laughed softly, kissing Mingyu's soft lips that he realised he was growing addicted to. 

As they resumed kissing fervently, Mingyu reached down, grabbing both of their erections. The duo let out choked sounds as they felt skin-on-skin contact. Mingyu started moving his hands, rubbing them together. 

Wonwoo could barely comprehend what was going on. His mind was in jumble. He thrusted once in a while into Mingyu's grip. 

"Wonwoo..." Mingyu moaned, scratching his nails down the other's back. "I feel like... I feel like I'm reaching something..."

"It's okay," Wonwoo panted in between thrusts and Mingyu's quick hand movement. "Just let it go."

And he did. Streams of white, hot liquid shot out, landing on both their chests. Wonwoo came soon after, his ejaculation adding on to Mingyu's. Some even landed on Mingyu's chin, which Wonwoo found it to be strangely hot. 

Wonwoo collapsed onto Mingyu, not caring about the sticky liquid between them.

"That was... something," Wonwoo spoke as Mingyu put his arms around him. 

"Y-yeah..." Mingyu whispered breathlessly.

-

It was the first time the both of them had experienced such interaction, and it changed something between them.

"Let's get cleaned up and dressed before it's sunrise, okay?" Wonwoo spoke up as he pushed himself up. 

Mingyu nodded, sitting up while avoiding the other's gaze. His face was sporting a bright blush. "I'll go first." 

And with that, he grabbed his clothes and ran off, not before making sure Wonwoo's mother was still in her room.

Wonwoo laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. 

What just happened?

Other than the time he had taken care of Mingyu, he had probably never viewed the taller as anything more than a friend. Sure, they had become really close over the span of months and their affection seemed to fall outside the normality, but did Wonwoo really see Mingyu as a lover?

Wonwoo thought about the times they had talked, laughed, and shared smiles. Mingyu was attractive, which he couldn't lie. 

"Do I  _like_ him?" Wonwoo whispered to himself. He shook his head, sitting up abruptly.

_No,_ Mingyu was merely just his doll. What had he just done? 

Mingyu returned a few minutes later, dressed, and still avoiding looking at Wonwoo due to embarrassment. The shorter took his turn to go and clean up, bringing his clothes and bed sheets along.

*

Mingyu took a seat on the edge of the bed. He smiled a small smile, thinking of the kiss the both of them shared. Would this be a good time to confess?

He hadn't expected the kiss to turn into something more, however. Mingyu wondered what Wonwoo could be thinking. If his friend had responded to his advances, did that mean that he had a chance with him? Would Wonwoo still accept Mingyu even though he would turn back into a doll when the night is over?

Mingyu decided that the best thing to do for now was to have a talk with Wonwoo, however awkward it might be due to what had transpired just minutes before.

He watched as Wonwoo came back, face expressionless. Mingyu feared that look, as he didn't know what the other was feeling. However, he had an inkling it wasn't anything good.

"Won-"

"Look, Mingyu..." Wonwoo interrupted him. "What just happened... It shouldn't have happened. I mean..." He ran a hand through his wet hair. "It wasn't like I didn't enjoy it. It's just that I feel  _weird._ In more ways than one. I don't know how to sort this feelings, but what I do know is that you're a doll, Mingyu. I just... I just had a sexual encounter with a  _doll_ and just thinking about it feels strange."

"It feels strange?" Mingyu parroted quietly, feeling his heart dropped. "Wonwoo," he sighed. "I'm... I'm still a human. I'm still a boy with feelings. How- How could you just say that?"

Wonwoo fell slient. Of course, even when Mingyu was still a doll, he was alive. He still had feelings. How could he be ignorant?

"Mingyu, you've been a great friend and I don't want things to be awkward for us-"

"It's too late, Wonwoo," Mingyu said exasperatedly. "What just happened can't be forgotten. And like I said, I have  _feelings,_ Wonwoo."

"Do _you_ have feelings for me?" Wonwoo suddenly asked.

Mingyu held his breath. It was now or never. 

"Wonwoo... I've been in love with you the moment you cried when you ripped my arm off. You may have not cried for me, but I fell in love with your affection. And I fell in love with you all over again the moment you showed me nothing but kindness when you found me by the apple tree. Wonwoo, I  _love_ you," Mingyu confessed, a stray tear escaping his eye.

Wonwoo's eyes widened as he stared at the taller boy in front of him. He gulped and looked away. 

"Mingyu, I- I don't know what to say. I don't _think_ I've ever viewed you as someone more than a friend, but–"

Mingyu held a hand up, quietening Wonwoo instantly. The smile on his face was so sad and heartbreaking. "It's okay, Wonwoo. I don't expect for you to return my feelings. Let's just... Let's just stay friends, okay? You mean too much to me..." It was a desperate move that hurt Mingyu to say it, but he knew it had to be done. He would rather be friends and still be by his side.

Wonwoo nodded slowly. "I'll... I'll just sleep outside for tonight..." he mumbled, before leaving the room.

For some reason, Mingyu suggesting to just stay friends had caused a dull ache in his chest.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Mingyu wiped his tears. It pained him tremendously to have to stay friends with the person he loved. He laid down on Wonwoo's bed, facing the wall and closing his mouth to hide his cries. He didn't want Wonwoo to know just how bad he was taking this all in. He fell asleep to the memory of Wonwoo's gentle touches and warm gazes. 

*

The Queen sat on her throne, with the King rubbing comforting circles on her back. 

"So, there really wasn't anything?" She asked the chief guard in front of her. 

The chief guard nodded, bowing apologetically. "There wasn't anything, your Highness."

The Queen nodded sadly, waving the guard away. However, he remained standing in front of her. 

"Your Highness, if I may propose a suggestion...?" He asked politely. 

"Well, I guess I can't be selfish to hearing suggestions. Go ahead," she replied. 

"There is a villager who has lived the longest and it is said that he knows each and every one of the villagers here. We can ask for his assistance in identifying if there had been anyone odd in the village."

The Queen and King sat up straight.

"And have you located where this villager is?" The King asked.

The chief guard nodded. "Yes. I have brought him here just in case you would not object..." He signalled for another guard to let the villager in. "His name is Choi Hansung. He sells home-made jewellery with his wife."

The old man, Choi Hansung, bowed towards the two royalties. "It is my honour to stand before you your Highness."

The King and Queen nodded, and the Queen asked, "So, have you seen anyone out of the ordinary in the village?"

Hansung nodded. "One night a few months ago, I was approached by this young man who seemed to be excited being in the village. He was looking through my jewellery when I saw the necklace he was wearing. It was real silver with diamonds. Although he wore the clothes of a peasant, he wore such a valuable item."

The Queen was at the edge of her seat. "A silver necklace? Did you see what was on it?" The old man shook his head. "Then, did you get a name?"

"If I am not mistaken, Your Highness, I heard his friend call him  _Mingyu._ "

And right there and then, the Queen had broken down in front of everyone, leaving them speechless. The King took over as he held his wife's hand.

"Do you know who the friend is?" He asked gruffly, voice laced with emotion at the thought of finally finding his son.

Hansung nodded his head. "He is the son of a farmer I knew before he passed away. He lives with his mother in the forest."

"That must be the reason why we couldn't find him, Your Highness," the chief guard spoke. "We have searched through the whole village thoroughly except for the forest. I apologise." He kneeled down.

"Search for his house tonight, and if you find a boy wearing a silver necklace, bring him. Do not hurt him. He is the Crowned Prince."

The old man looked up in surprise, as did the other servants standing around.

"What do we do about his friend?"

"Leave him. We will decide what to do with him later on. He may have been hiding the fact that the Prince resides in his home on purpose."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaanddd Wonwoo screwed up again lol.
> 
> I'm so sorry but wonwoo is just a confused boy. He feels weird but it doesn't just mean the thought of having such interaction with a doll. And they didn't go all the way, if yknow what I mean, because they, mostly innocent mingyu, are clueless. BUT this is my first time writing that kind of scene, so it may appear really awkward. ^^"
> 
> So as I've said before, I meant this story to be a short story/oneshot, but ended up writing a chaptered story. So, please don't mind the slightly quick pace of the plot. The story is reaching it's climax and this last scene with the king and queen is the beginning of it.
> 
> The name Choi Hansung is implying that it may or may not be Choi Hansol's dad or granddad lmao. Actually... Should one of my future bonus chapters be a spinoff for Verkwan??? Alsooo, Hansung isn't anything related to BTS' Taehyung so.. just putting this out there heh.  
>  
> 
> Warning: Prepare for some emotional crap next chapter. :(


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things happen one after another and Wonwoo doesn't know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

When Wonwoo woke up the next morning, the first thing he did was to check on Mingyu, even though he knew that he would have already turned back into a doll. 

He walked slowly towards he doll on his bed, which was facing the wall. Picking it up, he hugged it gently against his chest, hoping to provide solace to the boy inside. 

"I hurt you again, didn't I?" He whispered. "I'm sorry..."

After placing him back on his bed gently, he walked out. The sun was already high up in the sky, yet his mother was still in her room. Figuring that she must still be tired, he decided to wake her up after doing his daily chores. 

He cut the weeds from the garden, checked on his tomato plant that was growing well, and plucked some newly ripe apples from the apple tree. Gazing at the tree, he thought about how it must be the tree's destiny to stay strongly upright when the other crops had perished. Not only did Mingyu's memories lie on the tree, but it had provided him food the first time. Furthermore, it was the place where Wonwoo had found Mingyu. 

Wonwoo placed a hand on his heart, feeling it beat faster at the thought of Mingyu.

He walked back into his quiet home, heading towards his mother's room. It was well past lunch and she had still not eaten anything. 

When he opened the door, he eyed his mother who was laying peacefully on her bed. He walked towards her bed and kneeled down, gently shaking her shoulders.

"Mom? It's already way past noon. Wake up and eat something, okay?" He asked softly. 

When there was still no response, he got up to draw the curtains and went back to her side. However, something wasn't right. The sunlight that shone on her extremely pale face worried him. 

"Mom? Mom, wake up, for goodness sake! It's past noon and-" 

_No. No, no, no, no, no._

His mother remained there, unmoving.

With shaky hands, he brought his fingers to her pulse– a move he learned from Seungkwan when he taught him on how to check if a person was alive. However, much to his panic and horror, there wasn't any.

He quickly brought his ear to his mother's chest. No heartbeat. 

"Mom, Mom! Please, don't... Please... You can't... I- I don't have anyone else..." He spoke through sobs as he hugged his mother's limp body.

That day, Mrs. Jeon Jisu passed away unexpectedly in her sleep while dreaming of a happy and easy life with her family.

In the bedroom, Mingyu had heard everything. He wanted nothing more than to run to Wonwoo's mother and embrace her while comforting the poor boy, but he  _couldn't._  He felt like screaming in frustration, hearing Wonwoo's cries. 

_You still have me, Wonwoo. You still have me._

Death is an unexpected thing. One would never know when they would be taken away from this world. There are two ways in which it worked– some would die a painful death as they are still conscious, but they are able to say their last farewells, while others die a painless death in their sleep, but _aren't_ able to say their farewells, for it is an unexpected occurence.

While Jeon Jisu died abruptly without any word to her son, she died painlessly without any sufferings.

When night time came, Mingyu didn't hesitate to leave the bedroom. However, when he stepped outside, he was greeted with the sight of another family. _This must be Mr. Boo's family._

The three of them turned to Mingyu, faces turning into surprise at the stranger. 

Wonwoo, who was just leaving his mother's bedroom, spotted him. 

"Mingyu," he called out with a rough voice from crying. 

Immediately, the said boy walked towards him, pulling him into a tight hug as tears of his own rolled down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Wonwoo..."

Wonwoo shook his head, pulling him by his hand into the bedroom. Mingyu kneeled down beside the still body of the person who had been like his mother. 

"Mom..." he whispered shakily as he started sobbing uncontrollably.

Wonwoo stepped outside to give him space, only to face the curious looks of his family friends. 

"Who was that?" Seungkwan asked. "I don't think I've seen him before..."

"Was here the whole time?" Mr. Boo asked.

Wonwoo took a deep breath. "That's... Mingyu. He came to my house one day without a home, so my mom and I took him in. He's like... another son to my mom..." 

Mingyu walked out then, his head down. He took Wonwoo's hand in his, gripping it tightly. "Wonwoo," he spoke softly. "Just know that I'm still here with you. Even if... your mom isn't here..."

Mr. Boo eyed the two in front of him. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that there was something definitely going on between the two.

All of a sudden, there was a loud knock on the door, making Wonwoo curious. There wasn't anyone who knew where his house was other than those already currently in it.

He carefully went and opened the door, to reveal a few royal guards. He bowed slightly.

Mr. Boo stood next to him. "How may I help you? I am sorry that now is a bad timing, for this boy's mother had just passed away."

The guard nodded. "My condolences. I am here as I don't think we have checked your house before."

They moved aside to let the guards in. The person that seemed to be the chief guard looked into the room where Wonwoo's mother laid. He bowed in respect to the deceased. Then, he eyed the other two boys in the room. 

"This is my son," Mr. Boo explained, gesturing to Seungkwan.

Wonwoo stood closely next to Mingyu, afraid of anything happening to him. 

"And who might you be?" The guard asked Mingyu.

Wonwoo answered for him, albeit defensively. "He's my friend, Kim Mingyu."

There was a shocked silence as the guard stared wide-eyed, before composing himself. "Do you happen to have a silver necklace?"

Mingyu's hand went towards his necklace in surprise. "How did you–" 

The guard held the necklace, spotting the familiar royal crest on it. It was then that Wonwoo realised that the crest on the guard's uniform looked awfully similar to the one on Mingyu's necklace.  _It can't be_ –

Out of the blue, the guard kneeled in front of Mingyu. "Everyone, kneel in front of your Crown Prince."

Wonwoo's eyes widened as he stared at the guards who kneeled down in front of an equally shocked and slightly clueless Mingyu. 

Mr. Boo was surprised as well, as he kneeled together with Mrs. Boo and Seungkwan, who mouthed, _"Your friend is the Prince?!"_

"Mingyu?" Wonwoo whispered confusedly, making the boy look at him.

"Wonwoo...?" 

"Please, follow us back at once, Your Highness," the guard spoke respectfully. "Your parents, the King and Queen, are waiting for you."

"Parents?" Mingyu asked. "But Wonwoo, and Mom..."

"The only mother you have is the Queen," the guard finished.

Two other guards stood next to him and began to gently pull him out of the house.

"Wait, I can't leave now!" Mingyu exclaimed. "Wonwoo!"

"Mingyu!" As Wonwoo started running for him, he was stopped by the other guards.

"You shall remain home until the King has decided on what to do with you for holding back the Prince. This is a Royal order," the guard ordered, before storming out. 

Wonwoo watched helplessly as Mingyu was asked to sit on a horse with a guard, and they galloped away. He didn't pull his eyes away from the Mingyu's until he was out of sight, with the latter muttering an  _I love you_. 

Wonwoo collapsed on the floor, as he felt his heart breaking. Not only had he just lost his mother, but he had just lost Mingyu, who was just revealed to be the Prince. 

"Mingyu..." he whispered, feeling an inexplicable feeling of pain and loss in his heart.

Mr. and Mrs. Boo rushed towards Wonwoo, attempting to ask if he was okay and providing words of comfort. However, Wonwoo didn't pay attention to them, simply staring at the door where Mingyu had just left from, with his heart shattered and tears falling like a waterfall.

He knew that he couldn't do anything for Mingyu. Mingyu was the _Prince._  He was the Prince that had been missing for 16 years.

That would explain how the Prince vanished- he was _trapped_ in a doll. He was Mingyu.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry again T-T But just know that the story is coming to an end in around 2-3 chapters.I currently have 2 bonus chapters I've written. I want your opinion, if you're reading, should I just upload the bonus chapters here, or should I put them as a separate oneshot and put all these into a collection?
> 
> Also, I hope you notice the small hints that indicate Wonwoo's feelings for Mingyu from past chapters to now, and not think his realisation of feelings is abrupt. 
> 
> This would sound really depressing or whatever (ignore it if you want) but I just wanna say this, when I wrote the part where his mother died, I thought about my paternal grandmother who passed away similarly in 2015 after she fell, and as an elderly, that was dangerous. Most of my family thought she was going to make it after she came back home from the hospital and all, but she passed away early in the morning the next day. I regretted not going in her room the night before to see her one last time, all because it was crowded. So I based most of the feelings I felt and put them into some scenes here and there. And when I posted this story on AFF, it was in Feb 2017, last year. Little did I know, just a month after that and a day after my birthday, my maternal grandmother suddenly passed away as well. I was supposed to see her on my birthday but couldn't due to an exam, and thought I could just see her the following week, especially since I hadn't seen her in 2 weeks. But... yeah. I didn't get to. Just wanted to let this off my chest. :') Nothing is more heartbreaking than to see people mourn, especially my parents when each of their mothers- their only current parent- are gone. 
> 
> I'll upload the next chapter later tonight maybe. So the last chapter can be tomorrow or something. Do tell me if I should write bonus chapters as separate oneshots and put them in a collection, so I know if I should mark this as complete. Thanks! Also, I really love reading the comments, thank you all!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonwoo goes on with life and Seungkwan makes him come to his senses.

Over the course of days that soon turned to weeks, Wonwoo proceeded with his daily life like a corpse. Mr. Boo had prepared a small funeral for his mother, who was buried next to his father in a clearing a way's away from their home.

The first week without his mother was devastating. The house he lived in, the one that was once full of life and joy, was now just a lonely silence. 

Mr. Boo had to come in to make sure the boy was eating his meals, for he didn't had any appetite at all. Wonwoo used to prepare meals for two when his mother was around. What was the use of preparing for just one? He would just be reminded of his mother's death constantly and break down all over again.

As for Mingyu, he hadn't heard about him other than the great celebration by the villagers when it was announced that the Prince had returned.

The guards hadn't come back for him, and he figured that Mingyu must have had put in a good word for him. Still, it hurt him, not being able to be with him.

It was said that one does not know what they're missing until it's gone.

He didn't realise he had been harbouring feelings for his friend until he felt his absence from his life.

Despite being sad for losing Mingyu, he was happy that the other was finally reunited with his family. If he were to continue staying with Wonwoo, there wouldn't be anyone left, and Mingyu deserved to be surrounded with his family after being separated from them.

Wonwoo sighed, heaving his bag full of wooden carvings onto a small table on the pathway. He decided to sell his carvings to earn himself money, as what Mingyu had once suggested.

_Mingyu twirled the wooden puppy in his hand. "This is so pretty! Why don't you try selling wooden carvings?"_

_Wonwoo looked up from the book he was reading. "Sell my wooden carvings?"_

_The taller nodded. "Yeah. You could carve simple things and sell them as ornaments or decorations."_

_Wonwoo tapped his chin, which Mingyu found to be a habit of Wonwoo's. He smiled._

_"That's a great idea, I guess. But only until Mom gets better. I don't want to leave her alone," Wonwoo replied._

He teared up at the memory, blinking rapidly to stop himself from crying. He had done too much of it lately. He didn't want his mother to worry about him from wherever she was. Now that she was gone, Wonwoo had no one else to care for. The silence in the house was suffocating, and so Wonwoo decided to surround himself with the village's bustling and carry out one of Mingyu's request.

_I'm sorry I couldn't carry out your request of never leaving you again._

While he was arranging his works, there was a commotion nearby.

"Have you heard? The Queen refused to do a party to celebrate the Prince's return even though it's been weeks," he heard someone speaking. "It's because the curse still hasn't been lifted from the Prince."

"The curse?" Another person spoke. "You mean the one where he turns into a doll?"

Wonwoo was dumbfounded. Had he been the only one oblivious to the curse? He continued listening in as he placed another wooden carving on the table.

"Yes! And I heard that the only way to break it is if a true love comes by and confesses to him sincerely. That's why..." She paused for effect. "The Queen is calling for possible brides for the Prince! And they could be anyone!" 

The group of friends squealed excitedly. "Are you serious? Although I haven't seen the Prince, he must be handsome. I'd love to be his bride!" 

Wonwoo froze from his spot. The only way to break the curse is if a true love confesses to him, and the Queen is searching for his suitable partner. His heart ached greatly at the thought of Mingyu with another person.

"I heard that the Prince is short, though. But it could be rumours."

"Well, my sources said that the Prince has the whitest skin, the prettiest shade of blonde hair..."

"Your sources aren't reliable then. Mine said that the Prince is–"

Wonwoo had had enough. "The Prince isn't short," he spoke loudly, gaining the attention of the ladies. "He's really tall that he could pick an apple from the highest part of the tree. His hair isn't blonde, it's dark brown like the finest chocolate. His eyes are big and full of life and curiosities. His skin is naturally tanned and beautiful, and as smooth as..." He didn't know he had been rambling until he realised that the three ladies were leaning against his table, listening intently.

"How do you know?" One of them asked, eyes wide with interest.

Wonwoo looked away, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I... I had been his friend before he returned."

Everyone gasped. 

"Are you serious?"

"You, a peasant, were the Prince's friend?"

"Tell us more about him!"

The three  _annoying_ and  _incessant_ women seemed to have gained attention from the people around, who were now looking at him with mixed expressions. 

Some came over to see what he was selling, while casually asking about the Prince. Others had came to reprimand him for tainting the Royal Prince with his peasant-self. Wonwoo didn't let the negativity deter him, however.

Throughout the day, Wonwoo had also heard that the search would begin at night, and that girls and young women had already begun to queue up in front of the palace entrace. He knew the exact reason for it being at night. It meant that Mingyu would be present as the different ladies were introduced to him. His heart skipped a bit at the thought of seeing Mingyu. Could he...? He shook his head.

He was a male, a  _peasant_  at that. How could he step into royal grounds?

After he packed up for the night, he stopped by Mr. Boo's market. 

"Wonwoo!" Mr. Boo greeted. "How are you? Is your new business going well?"

Wonwoo nodded, smiling kindly, although it didn't reach his eyes. "It's going okay. I made a few coins. Anyway, I have a question."

Mr. Boo took a seat on a stool, gesturing for him to go ahead.

"I heard that tonight, the Queen is searching for Min- I mean, the Prince's bride to break his curse. Do you think the Prince will be there?"

Seungkwan suddenly emerged from the store room. "Some say that he will, while others doubt it. Why would the Prince be there?"

Mr. Boo chuckled. "You should ask Seungkwan for this, he's knowledgeable in the gossip area." He left his son to talk to Wonwoo.

"Why, do you want to pay a visit?" Seungkwan asked, replacing his father's position on the stool.

Wonwoo quickly shook his head. "No, of course not. How could I–"

"Wonwoo," Seungkwan interrupted. "I may be slightly mean to you sometimes, but I've known you the longest. I know that Mingyu means so much to you more than just a friend or brother."

Wonwoo was flustered as he ruffled his hair. "I just... I don't know what to do now, Seungkwan. My heart hurts constantly not being able to see Mingyu."

Seungkwan placed his hands on Wonwoo's shoulders, giving it a shake. "You may be older, but I didn't know you could be this dense. Wonwoo, does the Prince love you?"

"Um- Well, he did say he loved me–"

"And you love him?"

Wonwoo nodded, not hesitating.

"Then you go there tonight before it's too late, and tell him you love him. Cut the long ass queue of annoying females, break past the guards if you have to. Wonwoo, can't you see? You could be the key to breaking the Prince's curse," Seungkwan exclaimed.

Wonwoo stared at Seungkwan before something clicked in his head. 

"Thank you so much, Seungkwan!" He thanked as he quickly got up, grabbing his things and running straight home.

He knew what he had to do now.

Taking out the clothes which belonged to his father, he wore them. He took the blue scarf that belonged to Mingyu, and wore it around his neck. Then, he set off, a destination clear in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last chapter after this! And after that, they're just bonus chapters I write in no particular order. 
> 
> I'm thinking of writing a Verkwan oneshot...? I haven't written on them before, but I suddenly had an idea of having Hansol and Seungkwan meet in this same setting. From this fic we already kinda know that Seungkwan has a strong personality? Like he can be sarcastic, straightforward, and knows everything... Wait ok I think I know what to write on lmao. But that's got to wait cuz I have one more meanie fic to complete and 2 more I want to write. :3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonwoo does what he has to do.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Get in line! We've been here for hours!"

"You're a  _guy,_  what are you doing here?"

Wonwoo ignored the complains and whining of the girls and ladies who had been lined up to enter the palace the whole night. When he reached the entrance, he attempted to walk past the royal guards, but was stopped.  _Of course._

However, years of hard labour had gained Wonwoo some strength. So, with all he had, he pushed the guards and sprinted in. There was a ruckus as the guards gathered more people to chase after him. 

Wonwoo had no idea where he was headed to, as he ran through the red carpeted hallways. He allowed his instincts to lead him through large, printed doors. Without second thoughts, he pushed them open.

Everyone in the throne room jolted in surprise as the doors slammed open, and Wonwoo entered. 

Wonwoo's eyes scanned through the room, before his eyes landed on a familar boy, who was staring at him with his eyes widened. His heart thumped rapidly against his chest. He missed Mingyu so much. The taller still looked like the same innocent boy he knew, only that he was neatly dressed. With his hair combed back, he wore a royal blue attire with golden sequins, and a pair of white trousers.

Mingyu looked extremely handsome, and it made Wonwoo think if coming here was a bad idea. Mingyu was way out of his league. However, he reminded himself the reason why he came here. 

"Excuse me–" the Queen spoke up angrily, before Mingyu interrupted.

"Wonwoo? Wonwoo, is that you?" Mingyu spoke shakily as he took a step forward. 

Just then, the guards had caught up with him. 

Wonwoo looked through the window, and he knew he had little time to waste. Before the guards could catch him, he ran past the servants, a young lady and what looked to be the royal advisor. 

He grabbed Mingyu by the collar, pulling him down. "Mingyu, I missed you so much. These past few days without you were hell for me. I... I love you so much, Kim Mingyu," he confessed, a tear slipping down. 

And just as the sun peaked through the east, he pulled Mingyu down to a kiss. 

There were gasps around him, but he paid no mind to it, as Mingyu wrapped his arms around Wonwoo tightly. When they pulled away, they simply just hugged.

"I miss you too, Wonwoo. I love you so much..." Mingyu whispered into Wonwoo's ears. 

It was a tearful reunion as the two of them cried into each other's shoulders. 

That was until Wonwoo was forcefully ripped away from Mingyu's embrace.

"How dare you trespass the palace, you insolent peasant!" The royal guard reprimanded.

The Queen held up a hand, and Wonwoo was released. "Hold on. Mingyu, is he the one you told me about?"

Mingyu nodded. "Y- yes. This is Wonwoo."

Suddenly, the King gasped loudly "Would you look at that, it's already sunrise!"

Everyone turned as towards the window as sunlight shone through. Wonwoo and Mingyu looked at each other, a huge grin plastered on their faces. 

Mingyu was still human. 

The curse had been broken.

Once again, Wonwoo rushed back towards Mingyu, who embraced him tightly as he spun the both of them around. Laughter filled the room as the two boys hugged each other tightly, whispering how much they had missed each other. 

The King, Queen, and everyone else, looked amazed at the bright smile on the Prince's face. Ever since the Prince had returned, he had not once voluntarily spoke up, or showed any kind of emotions other than sadness. Even when he was reunited with his parents, he had just cried in their arms, especially when the lost memories had returned.

"I missed you so much, Mingyu. My heart ached so much when you were gone and I had no one left. I'm so sorry for hurting you, for not realising my true feelings. I love you." 

Mingyu kissed the tip on Wonwoo's nose as he held his cheeks gently and lovingly. He then turned to his parents.

"Mom, Dad, this is Jeon Wonwoo. He was the one who took care of me and showed me kindness even though he had nothing. I had come to love him and he feels the same way. I know that this is against everything, but I want to ask a favour of you. Even though I'm the first Prince, I do not want to become King. Please, just let Minseok be the next King, as during the duration I had come to know him, he was not only kind, but a responsible person who would devote himself in running the village. I... I just want to be with Wonwoo."

Just then, the Queen smiled widely. "Mingyu, when you told us you love a boy named Wonwoo, of course I was shocked initially. However, you're my son that I've lost of years. I couldn't just disown you without thinking. What made me wonder was why you're still bound to the curse if you had someone you love, and I wanted to see if Wonwoo loved you back too. That was why I announced publicly that I was searching a bride for you. And now, Wonwoo seemed to have proven himself by coming despite being a boy, and even going through the extent of running past the guards."

Mingyu stared at her in shock.

"Well, we didn't expect for you to say you don't want the throne though..." the King spoke. He turned towards the Queen who nodded, and he turned back towards his son. "We would need to have a discussion with the ministers and Minseok himself to decide that. But, rest assured, we will allow Wonwoo to stay by your side. It is against the tradition to marry the Prince off to another man as they would not be able to bore a child of their own, but for you, my son, we will allow it."

The Queen nodded in agreement. "And I would like to thank you, Wonwoo, for taking care of Mingyu without knowing his true status. It showed how pure-hearted you are, and we greatly appreciate it. I'm sorry for the loss of your mother. She's lucky to have such a great son." She smiled comfortingly.

Wonwoo bowed gratefully before Mingyu enveloped him in his arms. 

Mingyu couldn't believe what he had just heard. He knew his mother was a kind and understanding woman, but he didn't expect for her to go through all this just for him. As he hugged Wonwoo tightly, he mouthed a  _thank you_  towards his mother, who winked back at him.

*

"Live here?" Wonwoo asked as he sat in between Mingyu's legs on the latter's large, soft and fluffy bed.

Mingyu nodded his head. "Yes, of course. This place has everything, Wonwoo. You don't have to live in poverty again. I understand how much the house means to you. I could send someone to clean the house every now and then, and we could go there once in a while too, to hang out. Just the both of us. How does that sound?"

Of course, the idea sounded great to Wonwoo. It felt like a dream, to be pulled out of poverty so quickly. 

"But... I don't feel good living off of you. My mom and I had worked all our lives, and to not work at all feels weird," Wonwoo admitted.

Mingyu hugged him tighter, smiling into his hair. "Okay then, how about this? Now that you're not the one receiving, how about _giving_ to those in need? You could help out the peasants who had went through the same thing you did."

Wonwoo looked up. "That doesn't sound bad... I think I'll consider it." He grinned.

As they remained in their positions, Wonwoo asked, "Say, what happened to the witch who cursed you, though?"

Mingyu shrugged. "Mom said that she was banished from the country after calling for help from a much powerful wizard."

"Oh... I guess I can't thank her for bringing you to me, then," Wonwoo joked, earning a chuckle from the taller. 

Mingyu tilted Wonwoo's head up, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you," he whispered. 

Wonwoo smiled. "Me too. I love you... so much." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can consider this the end...or not. This was the ending I wrote, but I plan to write more extra chapters after this, including a rated chapter which i don't understand why i had to write that but i did so be prepared. xD I'll be labelling this as Completed, but again, I'll upload more chapters after this that will cover other things, it's just that the main plot is finished. ^^
> 
> I think by now you can imagine how Prince Mingyu would look like, especially with his blue outfit in Diamond Edge (I wrote this before DE and freaked out seeing that his prince outfit among the other members was blue in colour, like what I wrote. But royal blue is more brighter, but still.. xD), and also the picture for Seventeen Japan or something, the one with the red sash. I cry.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you all for reading! I love reading your comments and I'm always so grateful for your opinions and everything and I love you all ;-;


	11. Extra #1 (M)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonwoo and Mingyu returned to their old house, and things go down from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... So this chapter is definitely rated... I should change the rating for this... If you're uncomfortable you can just skip it (please do), cuz it's like they're actually actually gonna do it and it's detailed and embarrassing. This is a fail attempt of me writing smut.

Mingyu and Wonwoo walked hand-in-hand into the forest, towards Wonwoo's house. They were heading there to pack some of Wonwoo's things before he lived at the palace with him. Other than that, they just wanted to be in each other's company after not seeing each other for a very long time.

Mingyu couldn't avoid the royal guards from protecting him, so he told them to stay at least ten metres away from Wonwoo's house premises. 

The Prince stilled when he entered the house. Memories from his time staying here resurfaced, including all those times when Wonwoo's mother had treated him like her own son. He touched the blue scarf around his neck, the one Wonwoo had placed before they left. 

Wonwoo, sensing the younger's sadness, squeezed his, hand in reassurance. "I'm sure Mom is in a better place now with Dad."

Mingyu turned to him with a teary-eyed smile, nodding. They proceeded to move towards Wonwoo's room. 

As the two stepped foot into the room, they were surprised to see a very familiar doll sitting on the windowsill. Well, to Wonwoo, it was familiar.

"Was this... Was this the doll I was trapped in?" Mingyu asked, slowly picking it up.

Wonwoo nodded, as he hugged his waist from the side and eyed the doll. "Yeah... I guess the curse breaking meant the separation of you from the doll entirely."

"Are you going to keep this?" Mingyu asked, leaning into Wonwoo's embrace.

"I should probably burn it, but... It held too much good memories of us, so I'm just going to keep it," Wonwoo responded.

Mingyu nodded, putting it back on the windowsill. 

They packed a few meaningful items into a box to be carried to the palace, including the doll, Wonwoo's father's clothes and a few of his mother's belongings.

"Your mother..." Mingyu spoke softly. "I didn't get to ask you... How- How did she...?" 

Wonwoo cleared his throat. "I tried waking her up but she just didn't. I checked her pulse and heartbeat too and... yeah." 

"At least she isn't suffering anymore," Mingyu comforted, pulling Wonwoo into a hug. 

They relished the warmth of the embrace before Wonwoo spoke, "That night when we... you know. I didn't regret any of it. I felt horrible saying all those things to you and felt even more horrible for not realising that the weird feeling I was experiencing was my love for you."

Mingyu tightened his hold, burying his head in the crook of Wonwoo's neck. "I forgive you, Wonwoo. I'm just so happy to have you by my side again." His voice reverberate against Wonwoo's neck, making the older shiver. Mingyu placed a kiss.

When Mingyu pulled away, Wonwoo leaned in to attach his lips onto Mingyu's. He loved the feeling of kissing Mingyu. It felt like he was much more alive and full of warmth.

He felt as Mingyu ran his tongue along his bottom lip, and parted his lips slightly. A quiet moan sounded from his throat as he allowed Mingyu to dominate the kiss. Slowly, Mingyu pushed Wonwoo onto the bed as he straddled him. Removing his lips from Wonwoo's, the latter was about to protest until Mingyu started placing kisses down his jawline and to his neck.

When Wonwoo let out another moan of pleasure, Mingyu knew he had found Wonwoo's sweet spot. He started sucking on it, making the older arch his back and squirm, letting out another moan. Mingyu's hands travelled down the length of Wonwoo's torso, and he stopped at the edge of his shirt. Detaching himself from Wonwoo, Mingyu looked into his eyes that were filled with passion. 

"Do you...?" It was an unspoken question, but Wonwoo understood as his face reddened. He wasn't going to lie, all of these-- the feelings, the actions-- were still new to the both of them. However, those feelings were just too strong, especially since this was Mingyu, the boy he had grown to love very much. His first kiss had been with him, and he wanted to continue having "firsts" with the other. With a shaky breath, Wonwoo nodded, and Mingyu pushed his top up, feeling the other's soft skin under his fingertips. 

\----

Mingyu attached his lips back onto Wonwoo's, growing addicted to the feel of them. He continued down to the other's neck, determined to leave a dark mark there. Wonwoo grabbed hold of Mingyu's shirt, feeling slightly overwhelmed with emotions. While that happened, Mingyu's hand had found its way towards Wonwoo's nipple, and he gently rubbed it. 

"Mingyu..." He breathed, eyes half open as he looked at the younger.

The said boy smiled, eyes full of love as he stared at Wonwoo. As cheesy as it sounded, Wonwoo made him the happiest person ever. 

Slowly, he pulled off Wonwoo's shirt, making the latter shiver slightly. Mingyu instinctively drew him closer. Underneath the taller, Wonwoo writhed in Mingyu's embrace, unconsiously bringing his hips up thrust them against his crotch. He held onto Mingyu's hips and brought it down at the same time, making them both moan. 

They continued doing that as Mingyu brought a nipple to his mouth and sucked on it. With Mingyu's tongue swirling his nipple, his hand pinching the other, and their crotches grinding against each other, Wonwoo felt like he was on the edge. 

"Mingyu... I'm going to..."

Mingyu's lips left his torso, and he stopped all movement. 

"Wonwoo, if we try something more, will it be okay with you?" Mingyu asked, panting slightly from the adrenaline. 

To Mingyu, Wonwoo looked absolutely gorgeous yet lewd as he laid on the covers, his fringe stuck to his forehead from the sweat, and his eyes glazed in lust. He wanted nothing more than to ravish the older.

Wonwoo had already thought about this, and without hesitation, he nodded. Mingyu wasted no time. He lifted Wonwoo slightly and leaned him back onto the pillows.

He then carefully pulled down Wonwoo trousers, and with quick movements, removed his own attire. Mingyu stood next to the bed naked, with an equally naked Wonwoo on the bed, looking up eagerly at the taller. It was obvious what the both were feeling, as they glanced at each other with a bit of embarrassment.

Mingyu bent down to kiss Wonwoo messily, before pulling away. He stared at Wonwoo's swollen red lips before crawling back onto the bed.

 

"Wonwoo," he called softly as he hovered above him. "I love you. I've always been in love with you from the start."

A bright smile graced Wonwoo's features as he stared up with a gaze full of emotions.. "I love you too, Mingyu. I'm so glad you're in my life." 

Mingyu leaned down and kissed Wonwoo, their lips moving urgently as their hardened members brushed against each other. 

When they pulled away and stared into each other's eyes intensely, Wonwoo spoke, "I read this book in the library once and uh... they were talking about when two people love each other, they..." He didn't manage to continue, his face turning a deep shade of red. 

Mingyu laughed at Wonwoo's embarrassed state and pecked him on the lips. "I understand what you're trying to say, Wonwoo."

The taller crawled down to Wonwoo's hips, and pushed the other's legs up by his thighs. His puckered hole was exposed and without any second thoughts, his tongue found it's way there, licking it. 

Wonwoo arched back as a loud, lewd moan escaped his lips. 

Mingyu's tongue circled the rim, and attempted to push past it. He pulled away, placing two fingers in his mouth and sucking on it. His wet saliva coated his fingers, and with his forefinger, he pushed into Wonwoo's hole slowly. 

The action felt weird to Wonwoo, until Mingyu started moving his finger and adding a second one. 

When Wonwoo started to moan uncontrollably, Mingyu decided it was time. He removed his fingers. Grabbing a random bottle of oil from Wonwoo's items, he deemed it fit for use and coated his member with it. He then hovered his hips over Wonwoo, lining his tip to the hole. Gently, he pushed in.

Mingyu moaned as his length entered. "Wonwoo..." he panted. 

A tear escaped the side of Wonwoo's eye unconsciously, and Mingyu wiped it off, attaching his lips to the other. The feeling of Mingyu's cock entering him was burning yet pleasurable at the same time. 

Mingyu paused once he was deep inside, allowing Wonwoo to adjust. He brought his hand down between them and gently stroked Wonwoo's hard length to get his mind off the pain.

"Move, Mingyu," Wonwoo ordered after some time.

Slowly, Mingyu began pulling out slightly, then thrust back inside repeatedly. It was gentle and slow at first, until Mingyu's member hit the other's prostate, and Wonwoo moaned loudly that he was sure the whole forest could hear him. 

"Faster." Was all Wonwoo said as he closed his eyes tight from the pleasure. 

Complying to his words, Mingyu began thrusting harder and faster that the bed beneath them began to creak and move with them. 

"Ahhh.." Wonwoo almost shouted, his hands scratching down Mingyu's naked back. 

"I love you, I love you, I love you..." Mingyu chanted with each hard thrust. 

He leaned back and held onto Wonwoo's thighs, moving faster. Looking down at Wonwoo, Mingyu moaned at how hot he looked. 

"Open your eyes, Wonwoo, I want to see them. I've missed looking into your eyes so much when I was away..."

Wonwoo opened his eyes slowly and stared up at Mingyu. He smiled as he bit his bottom lip with how good it felt to have Mingyu thrusting into him. 

As Mingyu felt that he was close, he thrusted hard and fast into Wonwoo, the sound of skin slapping against skin loud and clear in the small room. 

"Ah, Mingyu!" Wonwoo moaned loudly as he moved his hands against his own length. 

With a few more thrusts, the two came together, with Mingyu releasing inside Wonwoo and Wonwoo over his stomach. 

\----

Mingyu collapsed onto Wonwoo, and the older's arms immediately wrapped themselves around his torso. He noticed the absence of the scar from the taller's shoulder, from when the ripping of the doll's arm had caused. Wonwoo felt slightly uncomfortable with the stickiness between them, but all that didn't matter as he stared at Mingyu's peaceful features as he slowly dozed off. 

*

The guard retook his position, avoiding eye contact from his co-guard next to him.

"Didn't you went to fetch the Prince?" The other guard asked.

"Um, he said they needed an hour more..." He replied, the night sky covering the redness of his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor guard at the end...
> 
> So... This was bad. Don't say I didn't warn you. 
> 
> I'm actually so ashamed of this lmao I don't know why I wanted to try and include smut in this fic ugh. I've tried my best to edit from the one I last wrote that is still up on AFF lmao, which is worse in my opinion. I "learned" from smut fics just to get an idea on how to write and what terms to use xD This is all so embarrassing and like I said if you think this was awkward wait till you see the almost original one on AFF that's too graphic for me. (Also, it's late at night and I'm at my living room with my laptop editing this, and my dad came out to grab a drink and I had to pretend I was doing an assignment LOL WHY) 
> 
> What scenes do you want me to include in future bonus/extra chapters? Huehue I'll maybe consider them.. x3


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before everything that happened, happened. 
> 
> A bit of backstory and a glimpse of young Mingyu.

The village of Serenity was a small yet bustling place that lived up to its name, where many items were made and sold, and where trading from other villages happen. It was a nice and successful kingdom where the Kim family ruled. The Kim family were known to be the fairest out of the other kingdoms as they would genuinely do their best to help the villagers.

That was why when the unexpected yet tragic event occurred, no one understood what they had done to deserve it.

The Witch of the Valley-- that was what the people called her. Practicing all sorts of magic and crafts that could extend to that of dangerous ones, she would stop at nothing to gain all the power. All her magic that she had known and learned were kept in a thick book, stored in her home in the valley a ways away from the village. 

It was when she was practicing a dangerous spell that word had gotten to the King and Queen about it. After much research by the chief guard, they had found out that the spell could cause a drought in the entire village in exchange for the success of it. 

This was when the Queen had taken upon herself to stop the witch. 

Accompanied by more than twenty other guards and soldiers, she entered the witch's territory.

The witch glared at the royalty in front of her. "What brings you here,  _your highness_?" 

The Queen surveyed the house, where different pints of potions and chemicals were lined up on tables and shelves, and where there were many papers with different formulas written on it pasted on the walls. "I have heard from my villagers that a certain witch was going to cast a spell that could cost the whole village," she spoke, before looking into the eyes of the witch with determination. "I am not going to allow you to do this. Stop now or I'm going to have to stop you myself."

The witch laughed, an ear-piercing sound that resounded over the whole room and caused the hairs on everyone's arms to stand up. "You think that would stop me? I have practiced and perfected this spell for years that will earn me an eternal life and gain me more power. I can easily take you and your soldiers down."

At her words, the trained soldiers had immediately adjusted their positions, ready to attack if any harm came to the Queen. This in turn made the witch laugh even more. The Queen held up a hand. 

"You are underestimating my power, insolent  _witch."_

The smell of something burning caught the witch's attention. 

"Did you think by trying to set my abode on fire would solve it? My-"

The Queen clicked her tongue, wiggling a finger as she slowly backed out of the house. "Ah, not just any fire. We have specifically chosen a holy oil to be set on fire," she spoke, which caused the witch's eyes to widen as she realised it meant that the spell she put over her house would be easily broken. 

As the Queen left with the army of soldiers and guards, the fire soon spread throughout the house, where the witch tried to salvage everything she could. She stood outside her burnt house, the thirst for revenge coursing through her. 

Everything that she had worked, including the items needed for her latest spell, was gone in an instant.

With clenched fists and fiery anger, she swore, "I will get back at you. Just you wait." She turned towards her book of spells that she took with her and flipped through it, stopping at one specific page.

_To cast away a soul into an inanimate object._

*

When the Queen returned to the palace, she was greeted by her two-year-old son who was being carried by one of the maids. 

"He wouldn't stop asking for you, Your Highness," the maid laughed as the boy was jumping in her hold. She placed him down, and watched as he ran towards his mother.

The Queen laughed too as she picked him up. "Kim Mingyu, you couldn't wait for me could you?" She pinched his nose playfully, earning a joyful scream. 

"Mommy!" Mingyu shouted as he wrapped his small arms around her neck. 

"Yes, yes. Mommy's here." 

The Queen dismissed the maid and carried Mingyu into her bedroom. "Wait here, okay? Mommy has a present for you."

In midst of the whole ordeal with the witch, the Queen was also worried for her son's safety. She knew that the witch could come back any time for revenge, which was why she had implemented for the soldiers to join the royal guards in guarding the palace. While at it, she had requested for a talented jeweler to design a necklace for Mingyu. If anything were to happen to him, his identity would at least be known, which could help him a lot.

The Queen entered her wardrobe before reemerging with the box of necklace in her hand. She approached her excited son who was shouting, "Yay! A present!"

After calming him down, she took out the necklace, letting Mingyu look at it first. "This is your necklace, Mingyu. See, it has your name on it too." She turned the pendant on the necklace, revealing  _Kim Mingyu_ engraved on it nicely. "And look, it even has our symbol on it with diamonds."

She allowed Mingyu's tiny fingers to grab onto the pendant as she held the chain. "Pretty," he mumbled, staring at the diamonds that were sparkling.

The Queen finally took the chain and placed it around Mingyu's neck. It was slightly long, but that was so he could grow and still be able to wear it. 

"You look pretty, Mingyu," she gushed to her son who giggled in response.

The door opened and the King entered. Mingyu ran up towards him, hugging his legs. "Daddy! Isn't this pretty?"

The King picked up his son and saw the necklace, smiling. "It's pretty indeed. Mingyu, with this necklace, you'll be protected, you know that?" 

Mingyu nodded, flashing his father a huge smile. 

The Queen patted the space next to her, and the King sat. "Everything will be fine," the King tried to reassure his wife, giving her a side hug with Mingyu on his lap. 

*

**A month before the occurrence...**

"Now, listen to your older brother and sister okay?" The Queen spoke to Mingyu as she helped him into a small, blue coat. She gestured towards a maid and guard, both clad in normal villager clothing.

Mingyu had been pestering his parents to let him explore the village. He had only been cooped up in the palace with no one else to play except for the adults, so he was bored. The Queen finally agreed to let him go.

She couldn't be the one to accompany him as then it would cause the villagers to crowd, and she didn't want her son to go through that just yet. It was better to not show her son's face with her to the villagers to protect his true identity, especially when she was still cautious of the witch, whom she had not heard any news about yet after the incident in her home.

The guard and maid swore to watch over him, and they set off outside towards the village. 

As what they had promised, the both of them did not once left their eyes from the little Prince. They watched as he moved from shop to shop, admiring the handcrafts of some shop owners, and clothings of different types, colours and patterns. 

They then stopped at a market where there were all kinds of fruits, vegetables and herbs sold. Mingyu ran inside, looking at the different colours of fruits. He picked up a specific shiny-looking apple, fascinated by its deep red colour. The workers had always cut up his fruits beforehand, so he never knew how it originally looked like.

"That's an apple," a voice spoke from behind him. 

Mingyu turned to face a slightly older boy with dark hair carrying a doll with a hand. "Apple?" He parroted. 

The boy nodded. "Yup! Have you eaten one before? They're really juicy and delicious!" 

"Those are the fruits I always cut up for you, remember?" The maid spoke kindly from nearby. 

The Prince turned towards her. "But that's white!" He felt a tap on the shoulder and turned back around.

"Apples are red on the outside, but white on the inside. Isn't that fascinating?" The boy asked with a toothy smile.

"Wow!" Mingyu exclaimed, his voice turning a pitch higher in his excitement. 

The boy laughed, patting Mingyu on the head. "You're so cute! You know... I don't have any friends..." He trailed off, hoping Mingyu would capture his intentions.

Mingyu jumped on the spot. "I can be your friend!" 

The boy's eyes lit up in happiness. "Really? You want to be my friend?" Mingyu nodded again enthusiastically. Turning towards his father, the boy shouted, "Daddy! I have a friend!" 

A man walked towards the two small boys. He laughed. "Really? That's great, Wonwoo! What's your friend's name?"

The boy stopped short, his face turning into a frown in confusion. He had forgotten to ask for his friend's name. "What's your name?"

Mingyu giggled, about to reply, when the maid had interrupted. "His name is Min." She smiled just so it didn't seem rude. From behind her, the guard sighed in relief. It would be another problem if people found out his name and relate it back to the Royal family.

"Min?" Wonwoo spoke. "Okay, then Minny! My name is Wonwoo!"

The Prince giggled again at the nickname given to him. "Hello, Wonny!"

Wonwoo chuckled adorably as his new friend gave him a nickname. 

The two then ran out of the market towards the fountain, where they played catch and then simply sat on the ground, playing with Wonwoo's doll.

"What is his name?" Mingyu asked as they sat with their short legs outstretched. 

Wonwoo scratched his head. "I don't know yet. My daddy just got this for me."

Mingyu clapped his hands excitedly. "Let's name him Minny as well! So if I can't play with you, it will be like I'm playing with you!"

Wonwoo bounced on the ground, his eyes wide. "That's a great idea!" He turned towards the doll. "Hello, Minny!"

The two giggled as they played with the doll, which they had together named Minny.

That day was the only time Wonwoo had ever met Mingyu. Soon, his friend  _Minny_  was nothing but one of his forgotten childhood memories from when he was only three years old.

However, his doll Minny remained.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this was just kinda a backstory as to why the witch cursed Mingyu in the first place. I don't really have much knowledge on witches or anything so I just bombarded with the whole "holy oil" thing to repel the witch's spell if that makes sense lmao. All I know is that holy oil can repel archangels cuz of the show Supernatural. xD
> 
> And what do you think of Mingyu and Wonwoo meeting before?????? And I guess this explains the apple tree and the doll, yes? It's kind of like fate or whatever hehe. My niece actually started talking very well at around 3 years or younger, so I take young Mingyu/Wonwoo speaking well at this age as normal.
> 
> So this was another bonus/extra chapter, meaning there may be more to come, which I've already planned but haven't wrote yet. Plus, I'm calling all this 'bonus chapters' because there's really no sequence to it lmao. Hope you all enjoyed it. 
> 
> Thank you all for your support and comment and actually reading this fic :')


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